Reborn
by TheRealQueenOfAnarchy
Summary: "But Magnus, necromancy is not only illegal, but impossible! Isn't it?" "Not if you have the right connections, my dear." Magnus is left heartbroken following Alec's untimely death, and looks for any possible solution. But he might not get quite what he bargained for. Caution: Character death, angst and lemons.
1. Broken

**A/N: So as you may know, I recently wrote a TMI one-shot (Check it out- it's called Cold), and then my mind got working and I started having ideas for a much longer fic based off of that one. So here it is!**

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Magnus POV

"Alec! Stay with me! Come back, please!" I pressed my fingers to the inside of his wrist, desperate to feel that steady throb of life beneath them. Nothing. Still, his wide blue eyes stared straight upwards, only now they were unfocused, glassy. I felt sick. I was not going to let this happen. He would live, one way or another.

I pulled back the white sheets, exposing his torso. Coarse bandages encircled his stomach, a dark red stain tarnishing them. His skin around them was pale. Too pale. The black marks contrasted so much, making him look even whiter. When I pressed both my hands over his heart, the difference between my caramel skin and his made me wince. Feeling no beat beneath my palms, I began doing compressions. One, two, three, four. I pressed my lips to his, breathing air into him and feeling his chest rise in response. But once I had straightened up, it fell, and did not rise again. I repeated the process, focusing on nothing but bringing him back, making him live again. If I could have given him my own life I would have. As it was, all I could do was keep going. One, two, three, four, breathe one two three, four, breathe, over and over. I willed him to gasp in a breath, to sit up, to blink, anything. I felt weak. My mind was whirling, and all I could think was that this thing beneath my hands was not Alec, that it was a wax doll with Alec's face, and glass marbles for eyes. Alec was alive. Alec was warm. This thing was not. This thing was dead.

I don't know how long I'd been repeating the same pattern, but eventually I felt a hand on my shoulder. I tried to shrug it off, to continue, but it pulled me away from the Alec-doll, spinning me so I met burning golden eyes. Jace. I glowered at him, baring my teeth, but he didn't let go.

"Magnus. Stop." I blinked. "It's over. He's gone." No. No he wasn't. He couldn't be. Not yet. Not now. I pulled away, turning back to the figure that tied my whole world down. He was still in there. Somewhere. But before I could resume my actions, Jace had pulled me away again.

"Let me GO!" I roared at him, and tried to shove him away, but the angel boy was fast, and had dodged me before I could react. I felt his arms restrain mine, and I growled.

"There's no point Magnus! If he was going to come back he would have by now! He's gone! I know, because I can't feel him anymore," I narrowed my eyes at the wall, "There's nothing there. I'm his Parabatai. I should know." At his words, I felt the fight drain out of me, and all of a sudden I felt weaker than an autumn leaf, quivering at the end of a branch. He let go of my arms, and I fell to my knees, my will to stay up evaporating. I felt empty. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut. A high pitched scream pierced my ears, and I saw Isabelle run to Alec's side and scoop his body into her arms, hugging him tight. His head fell back limply as she lifted him off the pillow. Jace pulled me to my feet, and helped me over to his bedside. I saw Isabelle's tear-streaked face as she lay him down tenderly, brushing dark hair back from his face with quivering fingers. As I reached a hand out to touch his cheek, she drew back respectfully, giving me space. My fingertips ghosted over his eyelids, hiding the once-beautiful blue eyes which now just looked wrong. Tracing the contours of his face, I ran my thumb over his full lower lip. It felt soft and familiar, despite the lack of temperature. And then I leaned over and kissed him one last time, gently but desperately, as if my love could bring him back. He died thinking I hated him. Maybe if I proved otherwise he'd find the will to live again. My warm mouth moved over his cold one softly, trying to coax a response from him. Still nothing. I gasped suddenly and uncontrollably, and pulled back, confused until I saw a droplet of water fall to his waxen cheek and roll down his skin. I was crying, for the first time in decades. I stared for a moment as more tears splashed onto his white cheeks, and then I broke. Sobs racked my thin frame as I let my forehead fall to touch his. I clutched his body to mine like a scared toddler hugs their favourite toy, and I cried.

Somewhere in the midst of my grief, I heard Jace's voice as if from another room entirely.

"Someone should say the last rites." Choking on my sobs, and hearing neither Jace or Isabelle approach, I attempted to steady my breath, letting him go and wiping my tears off his face. When I finally managed to speak, I spoke with as much love and meaning as I could muster, trying to put all my emotion into three simple words, words I rarely, if ever, uttered.

"_Ave atque vale_, Alexander. Hail and farewell." Jace and Isabelle repeated my words respectfully. Placing one last kiss on his forehead, and committing his peaceful face to memory, I pulled up the sheet, and covered his body, steadying my shaking hands.

"Thank you, Magnus. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for trying." Isabelle's usually confident voice was quiet and measured. I couldn't meet her eyes.

"Trying isn't good enough." Before she could respond, I had stood up, and was walking out of the room and away from them. I had to leave. I didn't belong here, and they knew it. I had failed, and now I had to leave.

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"Magnus?" I heard a knock on my door, and a female voice say my name. Clary.

"Go away." I hadn't spoken to anyone for a week, and I wasn't about to start now. The Chairman meowed pitifully at me, clawing the hem of my lilac, fluffy dressing gown. "Don't do that. You'll ruin it." The small ball of fluff huffed and stalked off to go find something more entertaining to play with, like a cardboard takeout container.

"Magnus, answer the door!" A male voice this time, strident, annoying and too familiar. Great. He wasn't going to leave me alone until I answered. I dragged myself out of the squashy armchair I had sunk myself in, added my empty coffee mug to the collection of dirty mugs already on the table, and yanked the door open, trying to look menacing and failing.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure?" I sneered. Jace rolled his eyes, but Clary was instantly sympathetic.

"Oh, Magnus, you look awful!"

"Thank you for reminding me, cupcake. Next time I need someone to tell me the obvious I'll be sure to ring you up." I did look terrible. I hadn't bothered with cosmetics or hair products in days, despite the shadows under my eyes and pinched cheeks that simply cried for attention. My hair was loose, a limp black sheet that I had let reach my shoulders, and I probably had zits due to the amount of junk food I'd eaten lately. Normally I would have preferred to be skinned alive than let myself look this dreadful, but I just didn't care anymore. "Now would someone please answer my question?"

"Well..." Clary was blushing slightly and picking at her coat sleeve. "If you want... I mean, if you feel like..."

"Oh for Raziel's sake. It's Alec's funeral tomorrow and we want to know if you'll be there." Hearing his name hit me like a punch in the gut, and for a moment I was silent. "You look like you could do with a bit of fresh air. Don't tell me you've been sat in there watching reruns of _Project Runway _all week."

"How I choose to pass my time is no concern of yours. Now go away."

"But what about tomorrow?" Clary looked up at me, worry evident in her eyes.

"...I'll be outside the Institute gates at nine AM." And I slammed the door in their faces.

Now to prepare myself for possibly the worst event I'd ever go to.

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**I know it's currently a bit depressing, but it gets better, I promise! As for my Ib fic, those of you who want to know, I don't know if you guessed but I've got a bit of writer's block. I'll write another chapter when I feel inspired to do so. After all, you can't just turn creativity on or off like a tap. Anyway. This one should move quite quickly for now, so see you soon!**


	2. Farewell

**A/N: This is going to be a marvellously happy chapter, isn't it? Alec's funeral. Fun. I swear it'll get better!**

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Magnus POV

I stared at my reflection in the full length mirror I'd conjured into my bedroom. I'd done my best to make myself look presentable. I must have used at least half of my concealer hiding the dark circles under my eyes and the blemishes on my skin, covered with a layer of powder to keep it looking natural. I'd tied my hair back, since I hadn't bothered to cut it yet, and it was slicked into place with the industrial-strength gel I usually used to style it into my classic spikes. I was dressed in a spotless, neatly pressed white suit, in accordance with Shadowhunter mourning tradition, although I had pinned a red rose to my breast pocket. My eyes were lightly lined with waterproof eyeliner, just enough for emphasis, not enough to make a statement. I looked... different.

I glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece as I pulled on my most modest pair of black boots. Quarter to nine. That gave me fifteen minutes to get there. Plenty of time. I put down a bowl of food and water for the Chairman, and left.

Halfway there, I passed a florists'. I looked in. Usually I would just conjure any item I needed, but today... For that purpose, it seemed wrong. Alec wouldn't like me to lay stolen flowers on his grave. Not that he'd have a grave; Shadowhunters cremate their dead. I didn't like that idea. I didn't want to watch my Angel burn, but what right did I have to dispute tradition?

Walking into the small shop, I looked around briefly before choosing a traditional bouquet of roses, some red, some white. The red rose of love and the white of mourning. Simple yet beautiful. I paid for the flowers, and continued on my way.

I arrived with a couple of minutes to spare, but Jace, Clary, Isabelle, Maryse and Robert were already there and waiting. I could tell Maryse was avoiding looking at me, but Robert unashamedly glared.

"What right do you have to be here, downworlder?" He all but snarled at me. I didn't have the heart to talk back.

"I don't. But I come to pay my respects to the one I love." I spoke calmly, for once not looking to provoke.

"_Love?! _Don't talk to me about love! It's your fault he's dead! If it wasn't for you and your stupid games, messing with my son's head, he never would have been so reckless!" I flinched. His words cut like a knife, wounding me to my core. Was that true? Had he put himself in the firing line over me? ...Stupid, naive, selfless Alexander... Why would you do that?

Maryse put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Now, Robert. Not today. Be civil today. If he wants to pay his respects to Alec's memory then let him. What harm can it do?" Robert looked for a moment like he would turn and yell at her, but then the fight left his eyes, and he stepped back.

"Let's go."

The ceremony was held in the courtyard of the Silent City, in the shadow of the mausoleum. A few others had turned up; Luke and Jocelyn, Jordan and Maia. Simon held Isabelle close as she cried. A few other families had turned up from Idris, presumably friends of Robert and Maryse. They gathered around the funeral pyre. A carefully structured altar of wood stood alone, and there upon it lay my Angel. He looked at peace, dressed in an unblemished white silk tunic bound at his waist with a silver ribbon, arms crossed over his chest, seraph blade in hand. His body had been preserved well- it looked no different to how it had that last night a week, an eternity ago. I approached slowly, the sight of him serving to twist the dagger in my heart, causing nearly unbearable pain. I felt tears pricking my eyes once more as I lay the roses at the foot of the pyre. stepping back, I closed my eyes, face pointing towards the heavens.

"Angel Raziel..." My voice was quiet, so quiet I was the only one who could hear me. "I don't know if you listen to downworlders like me... I don't know if you can even hear me, but if you can... If you will, please take care of him... Please look after my Angel, up there with you. He deserves it. After everything he's been through, after everything I put him through... It was never his fault. So treat him well, if not for me, then for his family, for Isabelle and Jace and Maryse and even Robert... And for him. I beg you." I opened my eyes, staring at the azure sky, the same colour as his eyes when he laughed. They were always lighter when he was happy. I vaguely wondered if he could see me now. If he could see the morning sunlight glinting off the tear that ran down my cheek as I remembered him. Remembered his laugh. The way his lips felt against mine. All those late mornings in, where's we'd lay in bed together, comfortable in one another's arms. Paris in the moonlight, one of my best memories of him. Standing atop the Arc de Triomphe, watching the lights of the city dance, staring up at the stars, my arms around him, keeping him warm. So long ago now.

These bittersweet memories play through my head throughout the entire service. I listen to first the words of the Silent Brother presiding over the ceremony, echoing in my head, then those of Isabelle, then Jace. His parents don't say anything, but I know they're mourning in their own way. Then Isabelle approaches me.

"Go on. Say something." Her dark eyes encourage me, but I feel my stomach lurch.

"I... I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's not... They won't like it." I make a vague sweeping motion in the direction of the other Shadowhunters.

"It's not about them. It's about Alec, and what he meant to us. He'd want to hear what you have to say."

"No he wouldn't."

She half smiled sadly. "Magnus, to his dying day, he missed you. He never hated you. I watched him lose faith,but he never lost his love for you. Now get up there and say your piece, because whatever my father says, you have just as much of a right to be here as the rest of us."

Swallowing my nerves, and being led by Isabelle to the front, where she placed a soft kiss on my cheek and whispered "Good luck," in my ear, I thought back to my Angel looking down on me, listening for what I had to say, and I knew I had to say my piece.

"I know a lot of you might think I don't belong here, and I'm not going to try to preach to you that I am, because the truth is that I lost any right to that when I left him. But here I am, because I can't pretend to myself that I ever stopped loving him. And love him I did. A lot of people have told me that is wrong, but how can something wrong feel so right? He was my definition of perfect. It was the little things, always the little things. The blush on his cheeks when I complimented him, the way his eyes lit up when he laughed. His habit of brushing back the hair that always fell over his eyes. His atrocity of a fashion sense," I choked a small laugh through the sudden tears, "He was beautiful, though he never saw it. It pained me when he hid himself, flinched away from the world, because I thought the world deserved to know how amazing he was. If he was here, now, I would say to him that I made a terrible mistake, and I would beg his forgiveness, because now... Now I realise that, for all his flaws, I... I love him. And I can't..." I faltered as the truth of what I was about to say hit me, "I can't live without him..."

I stole a glance at him, his beautiful waxen face, and my heart jumped. I need him. If I can't have him, I'm going to fade away. _I'm _going to die.

As I stepped down, Isabelle wrapped her arms around me. "That was beautiful. Thank you."

"You're welcome..."

I was the last to speak, and as I rejoined the crowd, the Silent Brother lit a torch, and held it above his head.

_As the spirit of the warrior, so shall our bodies burn in the holy flame which shall burn bright and strong as the honour in glorious death. To this brave warrior we say hail and farewell, and may the great Angel Raziel take him under his wings to live on in spirit as the guardian of our sacred race..._

He touched the torch to the corner of the pyre, and the wood caught quickly, the flames dancing over to lick at the white silk, charring it black, before Alec himself was consumed by the flames. I cast my eyes away as his pale skin first blackened, then turned to ash under the blanket of fire. The air reeked of burning flesh, and I stared skyward at the rising plume of smoke that carried my love's soul into the afterlife.

_I can't live without you..._

And in that moment I vowed to do whatever it would take to bring my Angel back to me.

Even if it meant bargaining with the king of hell himself.

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**Oooh Magnus what you up to? 2nd chapter already oh yeah! Enjoy this one guys, I hope you find it as touching to read as I found it to write. Seriously, I was sat here in tears as I wrote this. But anyways. Until later!**


	3. Summoning

**A/N: I am on FIRE! I has so many ideas I just need to get down! I shall publish whenever I get my hands on a computer ;) Okay I swear this chapter will be less depressing. Maybe. Possibly. I'll try!**

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Magnus POV

I crashed through the door of my apartment, my head already spinning, trying desperately to come up with ideas for how to make the impossible possible. I knew this would be a massive risk; everyone who had tried beforehand had failed, and usually did not walk away from the experience alive. But I had an advantage they didn't: I had connections.

Throwing my white suit-jacket over the armchair, scaring the Chairman, who yowled and ran off to the bedroom, I went straight to the bookcase full of dusty old volumes cataloguing all different types of magic, seraphic and demonic. I pulled out an especially neglected book in a half-rotted purple binding. Carefully, I brushed off the dust and mould and opened it, deciphering the spidery runes. They were in Purgatic, an ancient form of the demon language that only a few people still spoke. Fortunately, I was one of them. They spoke of dark tales about death and summoning the dead, but the methods were flawed. I was mainly reading this for tips on how best to control the ceremony. It put heavy emphasis on the importance of a full circle, any breaks could jeopardise your safety greatly. It also mentioned burning herbs to drive out evil energies, but I wasn't sure of their credibility. Still, I conjured some white sage and lavender, laying them to one side. I cleared the room of all furniture, and made sure to shut the Chairman in the kitchen- I didn't want to risk him running around whilst I did this.

When the environment was sufficiently clear, I rummaged around an old chest in my study- the place I kept all kinds of unusual magical artifacts, being careful to treat some of the more delicate items with care. Eventually, I found what I was looking for. A gilded black case, about the size of a small shoebox, with a locked clasp. The key was in my desk drawer, easily retrievable. Returning to the main room, making sure to shut and bolt all the doors and windows, covering the latter with thick swathes of curtains which blocked out all light, I began to get to work.

I unlocked the box, opening it carefully. Inside lay an ornate dagger, silver veins winding around an obsidian-black hilt, with a blade of dark grey metal. Demonic runes, runes of sacrifice and bloodshed were carved over every inch of the hilt. A genuine athame. The ritual dagger gleamed darkly in the dim light. My hand closed around its hilt, and it felt cold in my grasp. I dropped to the floor and began to carve into the dark wood.

I carved with meticulous detail, making sure there were no breaks in the lines. First a pentagram, then a circle around the pentagram. I decorated every line with runes of binding and protection, both sides. It took a while, but I wasn't going to take any risks with this. As an afterthought, I summoned a container of rock salt and sprinkled it around the circle's perimeter. Lighting the herbs, letting their heavy smell fill the room, I picked up the book, flicking to the necessary page. A summoning spell. A very powerful summoning spell. Taking a deep breath, I stood before the pentagram, athame in hand. Summoning spells work best, I thought, when you have something of the demon you wish to summon. I had nothing, but maybe my blood would do.

After all, this demon was my father.

Placing the book open on the floor in front of me, I pressed the blade into my skin and pulled. A gasp of pain escaped my lips as the icy metal sliced through my flesh, and dark blood welled up around it. Stepping into the pentagram, careful not to disturb the line of salt, I let my blood drip into the centre of the circle, staining the floor, looking black in the half-light.

I left the circle quickly, picking up the book once more. I scanned through the page quickly, ignoring the way my hand shook as I turned the page. I said I would do anything to get my Angel back. Well, this was anything.

I began to chant.

As I chanted, I saw something happen in the centre of the pentagram. The blood was bubbling, releasing wisps of black smoke which coagulated, becoming a thick pillar of darkness. My voice stuttered, but I kept reading. The smoke began to take a shape, a huge, monstrous shadow, humanoid, but with curled horns and a whipping tail, ending in a vicious spike. As I read the last few lines, the smoke solidified, leaving in its place a figure. Its skin was the colour of fresh blood, stretched tight over a skull-like face baring fanged teeth. I stepped back as glowing brimstone eyes rested on me. The smell of sulphur and burning coated the air. When the thing spoke, its voice was like water being poured over hot coals, hissing like steam and fire.

"_Who dares summon Lucifer, king of the Underworld, keeper of souls?"_

"Hello Father." Despite the twisting of fear in my gut, I managed to keep my voice steady.

"_Father? I have not sired many children. Which are you?"_

"Bane. Magnus Bane." I stood tall, meeting his fiery eyes with my own glowing cat's eyes.

_"Ah, yes... Bane." _His form melted down, becoming shorter, more human. His eyes dulled to smouldering coals, his horns and tail vanishing. Soon, a tall man with a haughty expression and sculpted cheekbones stood before me. A mane of burnished copper hair that flickered like flames framed his pale, pointed face. He wore an all-black suit. I stood on eye level with him, meeting his gaze steadily.

"_To summon me is no light undertaking, son of mine or nay. Why do you choose to perform such a perilous feat?"_

"I must request something of you, father. A week ago yesterday, a mortal life was lost to me. I want him back."

_"Mortal life is fleeting. It burns so bright and is snuffed out faster than a candle flame. Why should I return this mortal to you? Why should this one be spared among all others?"_

"He wasn't just any mortal. He was my love." Lucifer laughed, loud and long.

_"Love? Imagine that. The son of the King of Hell in love with a mere mortal. But I know how love twists the human heart in you. I know how mortals will do near anything for their so-called 'love'. Very well. But only on such terms as I make clear."_

I was sure my father could hear the hammering of my heart. My throat felt dry and my legs weak. He would do it... He would bring my Angel back... When I spoke, my voice cracked.

"Anything."

_"A life for a life. A soul for a soul. As I return your love to you, you must offer up a soul to me. A soul whose time is in the distant future. Young and untouched by demonic influence." _I nodded briefly. _"I will stay for one mortal day. Bring me this soul before then and I will give you what you ask."__  
_

"Th... Thank you," I choked out.

_"Which is the soul you so desire?"_

"...Alexander Gideon Lightwood."

_"As you wish." _Lucifer's body dissolved into writhing black smoke once more, which dissipated into the air, leaving behind no trace but the scent of brimstone. I stood stock-still. I would get Alexander back... All I had to do was find a sacrifice. But who?

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**Hehehe... That's pretty much all I have to say. Bye bye!**


	4. Sacrifice

**A/N: This chapter took a lot of thinking about and a lot of research, which is why I haven't posted it immediately. I think I've got my facts straight, but feel free to correct me. **

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Magnus POV

Just what I had just agreed to do didn't fully hit me until about an hour after Lucifer had returned to his dimension. The full implications hit me like a wall- I would have to break Covenant law, and the law of the Accords, in order to do this. I had to take an innocent life- a young life- if I was going to bring Alec back. I knew I was twisting fate, being selfish by doing this, but when I contemplated spending my long, empty years alone, without him, I felt instantly and endlessly depressed.

Life just wouldn't be worth living.

And this, this dangling hope just within my grasp was cruel. Of course I was going to chase it, whatever the cost. If I got hunted down and killed by Shadowhunters because of it, then so be it. I'd rather be dead than be caught in this crushing spiral of depression.

So instead I began considering my options.

Untouched by demon influence... That ruled out all Downworlders, demons and, at a push, Jace, but I couldn't take him anyway. No one Alec was close to. He'd hate it if he came back to find another of his friends or family were dead, especially if their death gave him undeserved life. To be honest, he wouldn't like the concept of anyone dying to bring him back. I'd just have to hope he'd see my side. That is, if he even had to find out in the first place. I hated the idea of lying to him, but, as the faeries love to think, there's nothing wrong with a bit of creative truth-telling. Not if it'll save him pain.

So no one from the New York Institute then. A mundane? To be honest, I had no idea whether or not a mundane would fit the bill. They weren't touched by demonic influence, exactly, but I got the feeling Lucifer meant he wanted a Shadowhunter- their seraphic alliance meant they were pure of demon touch. Also, it made sense that Lucifer would want a Shadowhunter's soul in exchange for another Shadowhunter's. I guess that meant I was going to have to go to another Institute. One that was sparsely populated, which would make an easy target. Somewhere far away enough that people wouldn't associate me with the disappearance. Well... There was an Institute in LA, on the other side of the continent. As far as I knew, only one family lived there- the Blackthorns. Whilst the Blackthorn family was fairly extensive, they were mostly children or teenagers. I could vaguely recall meeting a few of them- Helen, her little brother Jules, and the twins. All very young.

Perfect.

I swallowed slightly as a knife of guilt twisted in my stomach. I am no ruthless killer, and the idea of killing a child made me feel sick, but I knew I had to do it. Lucifer had said it himself: someone whose time was in the distant future. The only Shadowhunters whose lifespans were guaranteed for a good few years were those who had not yet become adults.

With a plan in mind, I dressed in a fairly inconspicuous (for me) outfit; worn black skinny jeans and a tight-fitting purple shirt with a plunging neckline, and opened a portal to LA. I wouldn't need to bring anything with me- my magic would provide any service I needed. Taking a deep breath, forcing down my feelings of guilt, I stepped through the portal.

The whirling darkness consumed me for a brief moment, then I was spat back out into bright sunlight and warmth. I blinked a few times, my eyes adjusting to the change from the dark room of my apartment to the broad Californian daylight. Looking around, I saw a row of shops and a park, on the other side of which was an empty-looking church. Bingo. I peeled back the glamour, and the familiar sight of an Institute loomed over me. It was slightly different to the New York Institute in appearance- it seemed more modern, with less of the high arches and Gothic décor. I approached the church carefully, looking out for people who might spot me. I wondered how I was going to do this- knock on the door? Wait for someone to come out then ambush them?- when I caught a glint of light out of the corner of my eye. A child was sat in the courtyard of the Institute. He looked about 10 or 11, and was holding a magnifying glass, which reflected the sunlight. He seemed to be examining something in the grass with great concentration. I remembered him- he was one of the twins, Helen Blackthorn's half brother and sister. His dark hair reminded me briefly of Alec, and my heart gave a lurch. I began to approach him.

When I was about five or six metres away, he looked up, and grey eyes narrowed at me. He stood up and pocketed the magnifying glass, before pulling out a small pocket knife. I stopped.

"Who are you?" His voice was wary, and he took a step back, towards the Institute.

"My name is Magnus. I'm a warlock. We met when you came to New York. I remember you and your twin sister well." A slight lie, but I was sure he wouldn't notice.

"You know Livvy?"

"Yes. And Jules and Helen." They were the only other two whose names I could remember.

"Oh... Why are you here mister Magnus?" I fought back a wave of nausea.

"I was hoping you would help me with something."

"Do you need my help solving a problem? I suppose you know that I'm a detective." He was more relaxed now, and looked rather smug as he examined the edge of his tiny blade. I decided to humour him. It was the least I could do.

"Oh, of course! You're the best around, I've heard." He grinned, and puffed up like a bird. "I was hoping you'd come and help me. You see, someone very important to me is gone, and I need your help getting him back." He frowned.

"I'm not supposed to go anywhere without my parents or one of my brothers or sisters. Can I go get one of them?" I felt a stab of worry. He couldn't go running back to his family- my chance would be gone.

"No, I only need you. It won't take long, I promise."

"But..." He looked slightly nervous now. "I won't be long, and then we'll come right back and I'll help you get him back. I promise!" He slipped the knife back into his pocket and turned to run back to the Institute, but before he could get very far, I snapped my fingers, and he stumbled and fell to the grass. Going over, I waved my hand in front of his face to check he was out cold, then picked him up gently. Before anyone could spot me, I had opened a portal back to my apartment. Safe from prying eyes, I closed the portal and lay the boy down. I considered waking him up, but decided against it. It would be better if he stayed unconscious. Biting my lip and feeling my insides twist in a mixture of anticipation and guilt, I approached the pentagram once more.

"Father? I am back." There was a moment of silence, then the smoke returned, and soon Lucifer was stood, in his human form, in the centre of the carving. He grinned.

_"Back so soon?"_

"I have your sacrifice." I swallowed. Lucifer glanced around the room, and, in spotting the child's prone body, his eyes flashed.

_"You have outdone yourself, Bane. I admit I had my doubts about whether or not you would do this, but I should have expected nothing less from my son. Bring him to me."_ I picked him up, and lay him gently in the pentagram, being careful not to set foot in it myself. Lucifer beamed, dropping to one knee to inspect my offering. _"Wonderful..." _He hissed, _"I will make sure your Alexander is perfect." _He waved his hand over the boy's face, and the grey eyes flickered open. Immediately, he sat bolt upright, shaking and wide-eyed. _  
_

"Wh... where am I?" He stuttered, and looked up at Lucifer. Giving a small yelp, he backed away from the fiery demon, but was stopped by a pale hand.

_"Uh uh uh, my child. Stay here." _He trembled at the demon's voice, but stayed still. _"What is your name, little one?"_

"T... Tiberius. But my family calls me Ty." He gulped. "Who are you? You smell like a demon..." Lucifer chuckled.

_"I am Magnus's father. I am very grateful to him for bringing you here to me."_

"M... Magnus?" He looked around, and seeing me standing a short way away, hope flashed in his eyes. "Mister Magnus, why am I here? Is he going to help me get your friend back?" I felt ill, and couldn't answer.

_"Yes, I am. And you are crucial to that. Now come here."_ Lucifer held his arms open, and Tiberius slowly got up and took shaky steps towards him. I turned away as, oh-so slowly, Lucifer brought his hands up to the boy's face. I heard Tiberius's voice, trying and failing not to sound nervous.

"Wh... What are you doing?" And then there was a sickening snap, and a thud. I swallowed as bitter bile rose in my throat. What had I done?

When I looked back, Tiberius was on the floor, neck twisted at an impossible angle, grey eyes staring blankly upward in his last expression of confusion. I wanted to throw up. Lucifer had his eyes closed and his hands on the boy's chest. When he pulled them away, a white, smokelike substance clung to them. As I watched, the substance dissolved. With a snap of his fingers, Tiberius's body burst into flames and was reduced to ash, then nothing. Lucifer grinned at my distressed expression.

_"Don't worry. He's in good hands. Now, for my side of the bargain. I believe Shadowhunters burn their dead, don't they? Then I shall have to forge him a new body." _I frowned. A new body? But I wanted my Alec... _"I see you do not like this idea. He shall look the same, but with a few... changes." _I opened my mouth to ask, but Lucifer had closed his eyes and was chanting something in Purgatic. His hands were held out in front of him, and black smoke, much like that which formed his own body, issued from them. As I stared, he began to shape the smoke. At first, it looked a bit like an Iblis demon- vaguely human shaped but still not corporeal, but then it began to solidify, taking a distinct and very familiar shape.

He moulded the substance like clay, and I stared in wonderment as he shaped each contour of the body I knew so well. Alec's sculpted cheekbones, Alec's slim but muscled shoulders, Alec's perfectly toned stomach. Slowly the black faded, becoming pale skin, dark, slightly ruffled hair. I felt my whole body go weak. I remembered Alec's body on the pyre, I remembered it burning, that pale skin turning to ash. And now here he was in front of me once more. There was only one thing missing; his skin was a pale canvas, blank and unmarred by black mark or silver scar.

Lucifer opened his eyes to inspect his handiwork. Seemingly satisfied, he put his hands close together once more. More smoke began to drift from his palms, only this time it was white, like the stuff he had pulled from Tiberius's body. Somehow, in my heart, I knew what I was seeing was a soul. Alec's soul. Everything that made him _him__. _For the third time in just over a week, I felt tears in my eyes. Lucifer held Alec in his palms carefully, before gently pushing it towards the body. It latched onto the pale skin and soaked in, like water into a sponge. Soon all of the substance was absorbed into this new Alec.

My breath caught. There was a dragging, torturous moment of still silence.

Then the body gasped air.

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**DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN ohohohoho ALEC IS BACK so what happens now? I'll bet you can't wait to find out! Until next time my darliiiiiiings!**


	5. Rebirth

**A/N: This is both a heartwarming and a heartbreaking chapter. I think. At least it was to me. Id just like to say thank you to all my favourites and follows- they really motivate me to keep posting. I'd love to hear from you, so if you have the time, please review :) even just a few words would be nice. **

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Magnus POV

"A... Alec?" My breaths rattled in my chest, somehow not getting enough air to my brain. My head was spinning. I couldn't believe what I was seeing- it had been one thing to see Lucifer crafting the body; then it had just been an inanimate object. Nothing special. But now it was a living, breathing- well, struggling for breath like a drowning man pulled from the sea- person. Lucifer had actually created life. Or given a soul new life, anyway. Part of me still struggled to believe that this was Alec.

The body's gasping slowed, settling into a more regular rhythm. Lucifer grinned, then pushed the new Alec towards me with surprisingly little care for what he had just created. Then again, he was a demon. They don't really care for things. Alec fell, and I caught him, momentarily thrown off by his weight, and lowered him gently to the floor. He was surprisingly heavy, but I managed. His eyes were still closed, and he didn't react. Unconscious.

_"He will wake in due time." _Lucifer was looking on with mild curiosity, watching as I sat cross-legged, pulling Alec close and resting his head in my lap, stroking his dark hair gently. He was warm, and I had to resist the urge to hug him close, to revel in the heat of life that came from his new body. Instead, I studied his pale face closely. His skin was baby-soft, new and free of weathering or scars. His closed eyelids were a delicate light purplish colour, and I swore I could see the intense blue of his eyes underneath. His unkempt, roughly-cut, dark hair contrasted with the pale tint of his skin. There was slight colour in his cheeks, a soft pinkish colour, not quite enough to be a blush, and his lips were slightly parted. I remembered seeing him like this before, when I woke up beside him in the mornings, and he was still asleep. All of the seriousness and worry melted out of his features then, and left them serene. I loved him like this. So vulnerable and peaceful. I could have stared at him all day, had Lucifer's harsh voice not broken me out of my reverie.

_"I have performed the task you asked of me, and received my payment. Release me, Bane." _Hardly able to speak, I looked up.

"Th... Thank you," The words caught in my throat.

_"Your sacrifice was thanks enough. Now release me."_ I nodded, and began to chant the releasing spell, still holding onto Alec and watching as the outlines of the pentagram shone, and Lucifer slowly disintegrated, returning to the Void. By the time I had finished the chant, both Lucifer and the pentagram were gone, leaving nothing but the burning scent of sulphur behind.

I stared at the slightly singed floorboards, now somehow clean and blank once more. They only held my attention for a brief moment before my eyes were drawn once more to Alec, his peaceful face relaxed in his unconscious state. I brushed a stray strand of dark hair from his forehead gently. How long would it be until he woke? Hours? Minutes?

Barely after I had asked myself this question, his body shifted, and eyelids fluttered. I jerked my hand away from his face like I had been shocked. He moaned softly, and his eyes opened.

I did a double take. His eyes were... were black! Dead black... I only looked for a second, then closed my eyes, suddenly scared. But then I looked a second time, and was staring into the same blue eyes I knew and loved. I must have been hallucinating. I assured myself I was just shaken up by this whole experience, and relaxed.

Those eyes took a moment to focus, then his expression changed rapidly, from fear to joy to confusion, and he sat bolt upright with a start.

"Magnus?!" His voice cracked slightly. I wasn't sure whether it was because of emotion or disuse. Maybe both. I nodded, struck dumb. The sight of him, alive, conscious and well brought tears to my eyes suddenly, and I blinked multiple times, trying to will them away but failing, and feeling them spill over onto my cheeks. His face creased into a frown. "Magnus... Why are you crying?" He looked first at me, then around the room, then down at himself, trying to figure out what was going on. He gave a shriek as he realised he was wearing no clothes, and tried to cover himself with his hands, cheeks flushing bright red. "WHY AM I NAKED?!" He looked mortified and angry. I couldn't help it. I smiled slightly, and choked out a laugh through the tears.

"It's nothing I haven't seen before, you silly boy."

"STILL!" He hugged his knees to his chest, staring sulkily at his legs. Then he uncoiled, examining himself closely as horror dawned in his eyes. "Wh... Where are my marks?" I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came out. What should I tell him? How do you tell someone that they died? "Magnus... What did you do to me?" His voice had become dead serious, and he locked his darkened eyes to mine.

"I... Healed you..." I forced the words out. His frown deepened as he tried to remember what had happened.

"But... You hated me... You didn't help... Did you?" My throat constricted at his words.

"I could never hate you, Alexander." His expression softened. "Not if I tried."

"Then... That was really you? You were really there?" Now it was my turn to be confused.

"What do you remember?"

"I remember... I was injured. I was in the Institute, and I couldn't, wouldn't move. Jace and Izzy... They were there. And then I began- or I thought I began- to hallucinate. I saw you. Only you, and black. The black... It felt like a weight, crushing me. I couldn't think, couldn't concentrate anymore because of it, and I guess I passed out, because next thing I know, I'm here." I swallowed. He had to know. I couldn't not tell him- he'd find out eventually anyway.

"Alec..." He looked up, meeting my eyes. "You didn't pass out... You died." I watched cautiously as he struggled to comprehend what I had said. My heartbeat felt both loud and weak, beating in a hollow chest.

"I... Died? I'm dead?" I shook my head.

"No. Not... Not any more." He frowned, studying my expression for clues as to what happened.

"Magnus... Did you... Bring me back?" I nodded dumbly. "You..." He seemed lost for words, his face a mess of emotions fighting with one another. Apparently anger won. "You idiot! Do you know how dangerous that is? By all rights it should be impossible! And for what? Me? The man you've been avoiding for the past few months? The one you told you never wanted to see again?! What if you'd died too, then what?" I was taken aback by his sudden outburst, and I failed to respond. "Why, Magnus? Why would you put yourself at risk like that? And don't tell me it doesn't matter because you succeeded, because you shouldn't have tried in the first place."

"I..." Words failed me. How could I put into words how I'd felt for the past week? "I didn't have anything to lose." He looked incredulous.

"Yes you did! Your life!"

"I didn't care... Didn't want it anymore... Not without you... I don't want to live in a world where I have to bury everyone I love... Especially not you." I put a hand up to my cheek, wiping away the tears, seeing a black smudge of makeup on my fingers.

"Magnus..." He was a lot quieter now, and he approached me carefully, as if I was a timid wild animal who might run away from him if he got too close. I sniffed, trying to stop the tears. "You really feel like that?" He sat right in front of me, and when I looked away, staring at the floor and hiding my face, he put his hand to my cheek, brushing away the black-stained tears with his thumb. "Hey..." His voice was soft, comforting. "You've lost loves before, haven't you? Don't you know how to deal with this?"

"I've told you, Alexander. Don't you believe me? You're not like the rest. You're special. You're the one I want forever. And I would never be ready to lose you." Before I knew what was happening, I had pulled him close, so our faces were almost touching, and I felt like I was drowning in his eyes. Then we were kissing, a heated, passionate kiss like nothing I had ever experienced in my long centuries, a kiss full of longing and worry and anger and grief and joy and lost love regained. He knotted his fingers in my hair, twisting the long strands and pulling lightly, not enough to hurt, but enough to send a thrill through me. He was now straddling my waist, and I could feel the heat of his skin through my thin shirt. I began to trace the lines of his hips with my fingertips, but he stiffened at my touch, pulling away. "Alec?" I looked up at him, confused and a little hurt. He was flushed, panting slightly, but he avoided my gaze, staring downwards.

"No... Magnus, we can't..."

"Why not?" He looked up, an intensely sad expression on his face.

"The last time I saw you, you told me you never wanted to see me again. You walked away from me. You can't just pretend that didn't happen. You broke my heart, Magnus, and that kind of injury isn't easy to fix." I felt the warmth drain out of me. "And that doesn't even begin to cover the fact that you broke Covenant law. If the Clave finds out..." His voice broke. "Magnus, they'll kill you. You'll be classified as a rogue Downworlder and murdered."

"I know." I sounded like an admonished toddler. He sighed, getting off of me.

"Maybe we can try again someday, but we need to fix our problems first." I closed my eyes, allowing myself the smallest glimmer of hope, and the vow that I would do whatever it took for him to forgive me. I heard another sigh, and then felt a hand under my chin, tilting my head up, and the soft brush of lips on mine, gentle and fleeting. I opened my eyes again, and Alec was looking at me, tears in his own eyes. I put a hand up to touch his cheek gently. "_Aku cinta kamu_, Magnus." I smiled sadly.

"Not that that changes anything..." He shook his head. I let my hand fall, my eyes on the floor.

"And Magnus?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you lend me some clothes, please?"

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**Awwh... Poor Magnus... But at least he has a chance, right? Stay tuned for the next instalment, coming soon!**


	6. Newborn

**A/N: So it's my first chapter from Alec's POV, and guess what. Lemons, lemons and more lemons! That's right. We've got some hot guy-on-guy action in this chapter! Don't like, don't read. Do like, read on!**

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Alec POV

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. Magnus had given me some clothes- his most modest pair of worn jeans and a black T shirt with only a simple pattern on the front- and left me to change in his room. Being back here sent a thrill through me. It was both amazing and painful. My mind was whirling with all that had happened, from Magnus's kiss to my rejection to the small matter of my death. I didn't quite believe that that had actually happened. After all, I thought necromancy was impossible. To think that... That I had died, and been brought back... It gave me a headache.

My reflection stared back at me, familiar yet so different. It was the same me; same face, same eyes, same body, yet no marks. Those vivid swirls and patterns had decorated my skin since I got my first mark at the age of 12. My Voyance rune, the one that marked me as a Shadowhunter. Gone. What did that mean for me? We knew that when Raziel brought Jace back, he had been stripped of the rites of protection that prevented demonic possession or negative influence, but he still had his marks. Did this mean I was no longer a Shadowhunter? Was I... Was I a mundane? Stripped of my marks forever?

That thought swept through my head like a tsunami, and I had to sit down on the end of my bed. I half expected my reflection to stay standing, since it didn't seem like my reflection anymore, but the pale, undecorated body folded in with the same awkward grace as mine.

How had he done it? How had he accomplished what so many others before him had failed to do? I put a shaking hand to my chest, feeling my beating heart beneath my palm. Had it really stopped? The thought was just so... So wrong. So impossible. I resolved to ask him about it as soon as possible.

Pulling on the jeans and shirt, I ran my fingers through my hair and steadied myself to go out and get some answers from my boyf-  
I winced.  
- ex-boyfriend.

"Hey." As soon as I had opened the door, Magnus had looked up from arranging furniture around the no longer empty room that I had woken up in. Half-smiling in response, I couldn't help but notice once again how dreadful he looked. Gone was the perfectly-preened, confident and exuberant warlock, and someone completely different was in his place. This man looked drained. His hair was unruly and long, his posture that of someone who'd recently suffered. Quite a lot, too. His normally perfect makeup was smudged and I could see through the layers of foundation and powder that it was hiding marked skin. Seeing Magnus like this was heartbreaking, and made the possibility of my death seem more believable, somehow. I didn't think just a breakup could do this to him. He seemed to be fitting out the room in furniture designed for comfort rather than style; a large reclining sofa, footrests and a flat-screen TV were already in place, and he was currently pushing a moderately sized coffee table into the centre of the room.

I approached him, unsure of exactly what to say. He looked up expectantly, and I felt myself blush. "Uh... Magnus?"

"Yes darling?" My heart jumped, and I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.

"...Don't call me that. But... I want to know what happened. Tell me what happened, please." To anyone else, Magnus's face would have been impossible to read. But I noticed the slight twitch of his lips and the darkening of his gold-green eyes that meant this was a subject he did not want to discuss. I'd seen that look too many times before, and I was not going to let him evade this topic too.

"Alexander... The past week has been very difficult for me."

"Magnus, you can't get out of this. Not again. I died! You can at least tell me what happened!"

He sighed, sitting back on the new sofa and hiding his face in his hands. "Alright. I suppose you have a right to know. Please, sit." I did so.

"Alec... Where do I begin? Ever since I... Ever since that night, I've been a mess. I was at war with myself. I couldn't decide what was better- going and facing you after everything that happened, or waking up every morning to an empty bed, knowing I'd have to live through another day without you. My only comfort was that I might muster up the courage to speak to you again someday. But it was always someday, never that day. I'd cut myself off from you, not speaking to anyone who knew you. That's why I never knew what was happening. It wasn't until I got the call from Isabelle that I even knew there was something wrong. Yes, I got your calls at first. I was almost relieved each time you hung up, because it meant I wouldn't have to talk to you. And when you stopped calling, I was sad, but I was also relieved, because I thought it meant you were moving on. Getting over me. I didn't dream that anything had happened to you. They say that you know when the one you love is in mortal danger. That's not true." I felt my insides twist in guilt at the the word 'love'. It didn't seem fair that, after all I had done, he still loved me.

"So Isabelle called you?"

"Yes. She told me you were in a sort of coma, and that I was her last resort. She seemed to think that just because we were no longer together, I would no longer be willing to heal you. She offered to pay me whatever money she could get her hands on. Anything if it meant I could give her her brother back." He was picking at his fingernails now, looking dejected. "I guess it's a good thing she didn't pay me, because I failed.

"I rushed over as soon as she hung up, and she took me up to your infirmary. I saw you there, laying on that bed, pale as Death himself and eyes wide open, and I thought I was too late. Even so, I went straight to your side, prepared to do anything I could to save you. I could only have been there a few minutes..." His voice trailed off, and he stared blankly at his hands with wet eyes. I held back the urge to comfort him. "I watched as the light left your eyes. Somehow I knew, even though to some there might have been no visible change. Suddenly there was nothing.

"I was desperate. I checked for a pulse, but still nothing. I did CPR on you, I don't know for how long. All I remember is trying to force the life back into you, trying to make you come back, then Jace was pulling me away. I fought him, but he wouldn't let go. When the realisation that you were gone hit me, I broke. I literally felt my heart break. You don't realise how accurate that expression is until you feel it yourself. It was the worst feeling I've ever experienced. Worse than any breakup. Worse than getting stabbed. Worse even than having your own father try to kill you. And the fact that you'd died thinking I'd hated you made it so much worse." He was crying now, the tears rolling down his cheeks. They left tracks in the layers of makeup he'd slathered on his face. "The next week was hell. I just couldn't face the fact that I'd lost you. Suddenly nothing mattered anymore. I didn't go out, didn't talk to anyone, didn't do anything but stay in and watch crappy TV by myself. I even neglected the Chairman. I need to make that up to him, actually." He half smiled reluctantly. "It was like that for a week, then Jace and Clary showed up, and invited me to your funeral. I felt out of place, but I even said a few words in front of your friends and family. I wondered if you were watching me, wherever you are." I was close to tears myself now. My heart felt as heavy as lead.

"Magnus..."

"That was when I realised how I couldn't live without you. I didn't want to face eternity with you six feet under. Not that they buried you. Shadowhunters don't do that."

"They burned me?" I asked incredulously. He nodded.

I guess that explained why I didn't have any marks then. This was a brand new body.

"I vowed to get you back somehow. And I did." He smiled at me. I narrowed my eyes.

"How?"

"I... Spoke to my father..." I blinked.

"Your father?"

"...Lucifer." I stared.

"Lucifer the king of hell?! The one so rarely seen he doesn't even have an entry in the codex?! I thought he was just a scary story told by children!"

"Well, half my genes come from your so-called 'scary story'."

I was speechless.

"...Alec?"

"Um... Ah... And... He brought me back?"

"Yeah."

"...Wow." I leaned back on the sofa, trying to take this information in and failing. After a moment of silence, I bit my lip, stating, "I need a drink." Magnus conjured a coffee, and held it out for me, but I waved it away. "Something stronger." He raised an eyebrow, but replaced the coffee with a glass of some sort of liquor. I took a sip, and felt the burn go down my throat and spread throughout my chest. I normally don't drink, but I figure that since I just died, I would let myself have one or two.

About an hour (and several glasses) later, my head was feeling pleasantly warm and fuzzy, and I was happily chatting away with Magnus about nothing in particular. He'd had a few himself, and seemed to be in the giggly stage of drunkenness.

"H... Hey Magnus?" He grinned.

"Yes, my love?"

"Am I gonna have to stay here for like, ever? Cuz I'm dead?" He giggled.

"You're not dead silly! An' you can't stay here forever, cuz that'd get boring, wouldn't it?" His face went still for a moment, then split into a devious smile. "You could climb through Izzy's window an' scare her like a ghost!" He waved his hands around in front of his face, "WoooOOOOoooo Isabelle... I'm a ghost come to haunt you forEEEverrrrrrr!" He burst out laughing at the apparently hilarious mental image. I frowned.

"Tha's not very nice. 'N she wouldn't be scared anyway. She'd probably hit me." I grimaced. "A lot."

He made an irritated noise. "Ugh you're such a buzzkill Alec."

"Am not!"

"Are too. You're always like this law and that law and no that's not nice and tell me all your secrets or I'll sulk at you." My face fell.

"You really think that?" He instantly stopped pouting when he saw my expression, and crawled over the sofa to stroke my hair. "Stop it. 'M not the Chairman."

"No. You're sad. No sadness. Not allowed." He stopped stroking to pull me into his arms. I didn't return the hug, crossing my arms instead. "You're not always a buzzkill Alec. You're cute and sweet and funny and amazing and I love you."

"If you loved me there wouldn't be any secrets to have to tell..."

"Aleeeeec..." He moaned, and I looked up at him dejectedly. "I made you alive again. I could've died but I didn't and I brought you back. If I didn' love you I wouldn' have done that."

I bit my lower lip, confused by my own feelings. "Magnus?"

"Yes biscuit?"

"Love you too..." The second the words were out of my mouth, he beamed.

"You do?"

"'F course. Never stopped." His face was close enough now that had I leaned forward an inch, we would have bumped noses. I looked into his eyes, and I saw them spark. His eyes really were beautiful, I realised. Intensely dark, slitted pupils rested in the centre like a tear in the iris. The colour changed with his emotions, and right now they were burning gold, glowing slightly in the semi-darkness. I could see a tiny hint of green around the edge of the iris, fighting with the gold. I found myself leaning in closer, and then our lips met, and I felt the burn of the alcohol get stronger, added to by the fire of passion. He climbed on top of me, hands pawing at my shirt, long fingers creeping up over the skin underneath. I shivered at his cool touch, the feather-light brushes sending jolts through me, making me twitch, arch my back and press my body to his. My own fingers found their way to the back of his neck and teased through the fine, downy hair there. His lips moved against mine urgently, and I felt his teeth bite gently on my lower lip before I stopped him with my tongue. His pushed back, and I relented, letting him explore my mouth. By this time, his hands were on my chest, my shirt pushed up, and he ran his thumb over my nipple. I let out a tiny gasp at the sudden shock, and he growled against my mouth, doing it again. I pulled at his hair as he continued to play with the sensitive spot, pinching at it and teasing it with a fingernail. When I broke the kiss, tilting my head back and closing my eyes, he took the opportunity to mark my throat, revelling in my little twitches and gasps every time he bit down.

After continuing this for a while, he seemed to make a decision, and stood up, scooping me up into his arms and taking me into his bedroom. He dropped me unceremoniously onto the bed, then climbed on top once again. I could feel the hot hardness between his legs as he straddled me, pushing up my shirt before pulling it off completely. It was thrown somewhere to his right, then his mouth was on my chest, licking and kissing. I let out a cry as he bit down hard, feeling tears in my eyes. It hurt, but it felt good. He practically ripped off his own shirt, placing my hands on his hips. I traced them gently, and he leaned in, inviting me to touch him. I did. He shivered when my hands pressed up against his navel-less stomach. I could see the scar where he'd been stabbed by Amatis, and I traced it with the tip of a finger. He moaned softly, and leaned in to kiss me again, caramel fingers dancing down to fiddle with the button on my jeans. I helped, and soon his hand dipped below the waistband. I clenched my teeth as he touched me, nearly bucking at the sudden pleasure. I felt his breath on my neck, his hair tickling my cheek as he murmured in my ear.

"No underwear, eh? You bad boy..."

Through my clouded thoughts and the steady, burning pleasure building in my abdomen, I could barely think. But still I managed to choke out, "Y... You didn't lend me any..."

"Didn't I? Silly me." His hand wrapped around my dick and long fingers stroked gently. I let out a thin moan, my head thrown back against the pillows. He let go, and I felt him tugging at my jeans, pulling them off. I felt goosebumps rise on my arms and legs as the cool air could now reach every part of my anatomy. He giggled. "I missed this."

"Wh... What?"

"This." He kissed the head gently, and I shivered.

"'S that all you missed?"

"Of course not. Silly Alexander." Before I could reply, he stuck out his tongue and licked. I yelped. He grinned, and trailed the tip of his tongue up the underside, teasing a particularly sensitive spot. My breathing sped up, my fingers knotting in the sheets as he lowered his head slowly, taking the whole thing into his mouth. I'd forgotten how good this felt. The wet heat was enough to make me moan loudly and clench my fists. He began to move, pulling back so that his lips barely grazed the top before going all the way back down again. It was taking all of my self control not to buck into his mouth. Instead I squirmed on the bed, wrapping my legs around him and pulling roughly at his hair. He sucked hard, and I cried out, my back arching, pushing my body towards him. My insides were on fire, pressure building in my stomach. I was panting hard, my heartbeat racing at the electric sensations running through me. I both felt and heard Magnus's moan, and I looked down to see he had unzipped his own jeans, and was grasping his impressive length firmly, stroking up and down in the same rhythm that his lips moved on mine. It was an incredibly erotic sight, and when he looked up, burning, lust-filled golden eyes met mine and I shuddered, the pressure building to an unbearable level.

"Mag... Magnus... I..." His teeth scraped my shaft gently, and set off one last key spark, causing me to scream, coming hard. White-hot bolts of pleasure electrified every nerve in my body. The convulsions of his throat as he swallowed around me drew out the orgasm, every muscle in my body tensing up. When he finally drew back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and grinning, I melted, the tension leaving me like a flood. Magnus crawled up to kiss me, and I could taste bitter saltiness on his tongue. He broke off, looking down at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Alec..." His voice was breathy, lustful.

"Magnus..." I felt like warm butter, ready to melt at the slightest pressure. The afterglow had left me contented and relaxed, but I could see that Magnus was far from satisfied. He kissed me again, hard. Although my body was almost unresponsive, I managed to push his jeans and underwear off his hips, but didn't get them very far. Instead, he had to get them off himself, getting impatient and kicking them off. Now fully exposed, he pressed his body to mine, his skin hot and feverish. His kissing was frenzied, all tongue and teeth, and he moved against me, desperate for friction. His lips moved from my mouth to my neck, just below my ear. It was a sensitive spot, and I whimpered quietly. He growled.

"I want you Alec... I want to be inside you..." Even as the afterglow faded, I felt the heat build again.

"Do it." That was all the conformation he needed. He held three fingers up to my face, and I took them into my mouth, licking them gratuitously, covering them in saliva. When he was satisfied, he trailed his index finger down my chest, my stomach, between my legs. When he pushed it inside me, I winced, my muscles clenching around the digit. I'd forgotten- my new body had never done this. I was essentially a virgin again. And it hurt.

"Relax, baby..." I tried, breathing evenly and letting my body loosen up. When he was sure I was ready, he began to move it, curling and uncurling it, caressing my insides. There was a dull pain, but I had a high pain threshold so it didn't bother me much. Instead, I tried to focus on the pleasant sensation of his finger tickling the oversensitized skin inside me. When I nodded consent, he added a second, causing me to gasp. I could feel them moving inside me, the peculiar yet pleasant feeling leaving me wanting more. I was beginning to get into it, closing my eyes and shifting, moving onto his hand, when he brushed that spot inside me that made me stiffen and bite my lip hard enough that I tasted blood in my mouth. In response, I felt him change the angle he thrusted his fingers in and out, hitting that spot. I moaned. He circled it with a fingertip, driving me crazy as he teased. Then he added a third finger, stretching my insides and adding pain to the building pleasure. I felt sweat running down my temple as he continued to torture me. I gritted my teeth, holding back my moans as my temperature rose. I wanted more.

"Magnus!" I whined, "Please! I need you..." He grinned at me, lining himself up. When he pushed in the first couple of inches, I cried out, eyes wide. It burned. Instantly he was on me, kissing me gently, hand on my erection, trying to take my mind off the pain. The mixed sensations overwhelmed my senses. He continued to push in until he was fully sheathed inside me. My lungs began to strain and I realised I'd been holding my breath. I let it out, then breathed in again, slowly and steadily, forcing myself to relax for him. I'd forgotten how much it hurt the first time. Eventually, although the pain had not decreased, I felt the desire for friction, and gritted my teeth.

"Move."

"You sure? I can wait..." His voice betrayed otherwise.

"Do it. Fuck me." It was as if a cord had been cut. He pulled out, then slammed in again hard. I yelped, but he did it again, knowing I could take the pain, or not caring. He was too lost in desire. As I grew accustomed to the burn, I could appreciate the experience properly. My walls were tight around his length, and that meant I could feel every imperfection, every bump and ridge as it stroked my insides. It sparked pleasure through me, and I felt my lust increasing. "More! Harder!" He complied. Now his hand was pumping my erection in time with his thrusts, and his other hand lifted my leg, pushing it back against my body so my knee almost touched my chest. This position gave him a new angle, and as he thrust in once more, he hit my prostate nearly dead-on. I felt pleasure rip through me, and I screamed his name. He continued to relentlessly hit that spot, and I felt I would black out. The pleasure was almost too much to bear. He let out a series of animalistic grunts and moans as he hammered into me, and I knew he was close. But I was more than close. I bucked into his hand, ready to come a second time, when his grip tightened around the base. I screamed frustration at him, the need for release driving me mad. He went harder, faster, deeper, still hitting my prostate with every thrust. I met every movement with one of my own, fingernails clawing at his back, craving, _needing _release. His movements became erratic, off-rhythm, signalling his imminent orgasm. Just as he reached the point of no return, he let go of me.

I lost it.

Screaming his name as loud as I could, I came hard, staining both our chests with white, crushing his body to mine. The clenching of my muscles around him pushed him over the edge too, and his cries mixed with mine. I felt the explosion of warmth deep inside me, and he continued to thrust a few more times, drawing out the high, before collapsing on top of me. We were both sweaty and breathing as if we'd just run a marathon at a sprint the whole time. We stayed like that for a few moments before he pulled out, rolling over. I let out a small noise of complaint, resting my cheek on his chest. He put his arms around me, holding me against him. Not another word was said, but slowly I drifted off to the familiar and comforting rhythm of Magnus's heart.

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**That is a long chapter! Srsly it's gotta be at least twice normal length! I guess I got a bit carried away... So, what did you think? Good? Let me know if I should do more ;) Until next time, peace out!**


	7. Reconciliation

**A/N: Wow I am sorry I am so sorry please don't kill me! I have no valid excuse for not posting this sooner except I COULD NOT THINK OF WHAT TO WRITE! As a consequence, this might not be the best of chapters. Regardless, I hope you enjoy. **

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Alec POV

The first thing that registered in my mind as I awoke was pain. My head was throbbing and my throat was dry- the telltale signs of a hangover. I shifted slightly and immediately froze as my lower half seized up, aching like each of my muscles had been beaten with a steak tenderiser. Groaning, I rolled over and came face to face with a sleeping Magnus. I jumped a little, still slightly sleep-disorientated. His makeup formed black panda eyes where it had been smudged, and his longer-than-usual hair fell across his face, looking windswept and tangled. The duvet was pulled back slightly, revealing his bare back; he was asleep on his front. His shoulder blades were prominent, and I could just about see the ridges of his spine. On either side of it were vicious red lines. Scratches. Some even broke the skin. Blushing, I looked at my fingernails. Sure enough, a few were encrusted with tiny amounts of blood. Bracing myself, I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, looking down at my body. I needed a shower. Badly.

Trying not to wake Magnus, I pushed myself up into my feet, wincing as my abused legs shook, and took a few, very careful steps to the door. My body protested, but I continued, opening the door to the bathroom as quietly as possible and stepping in, closing it behind me. Once in, I started the shower running and found a clean towel. When the water was sufficiently heated, I stepped in. It was a large shower, plenty of space to move around in, and I stretched out each of my limbs, testing them. My arms seemed fine, but my legs and lower back were incredibly sore. I thought back. The details of the previous night were hazy, but I remembered enough to make me blush, and all the evidence was there anyway.

The hot water was soothing and washed the tension from my body. I found some shampoo- citrus scented, I noticed; he'd probably gone off sandalwood since our breakup- and began to wash my hair.

I was rinsing the bubbles out when I heard the door open. I could see a dark shape through the steamed-up screen. It approached, pulled back the screen, and a very naked Magnus Bane stepped into the shower beside me. I had to stop my eyes from moving downwards as he smirked and ran a hand through his now wet hair.

"Morning sweet pea." I tried to roll my eyes and turn the other way as if this didn't bother me at all, but the shower head was now spraying water directly into my face, and I quickly turned back, rubbing my eyes in shame.

"I thought I said no to that one."

"Sorry biscuit, it just slipped out." I glared at him as venomously as I could manage. He grinned.

"Why are you in here, anyway? Couldn't you wait your turn?" He shrugged.

"Plenty of room, isn't there? Besides, this is so much more entertaining." His eyes travelled over my body, taking it all in appreciatively. I crossed my arms.

"Don't think that just because of last night you can get away with this. I still need time."

He sighed. "Alright, but even if we're not really together, we're not really not together either, are we? We're in a sort of..." He waved his hand around in an abstract motion, "relationship limbo, if you like." I rolled my eyes. "Now come here. You need cleaning up." He picked up a bottle of body wash and squirted some into his palm.

"Magnus, really? I'm perfectly capable of washing myself."

"Yeah but you'll enjoy it more if I do it." He winked, water dripping off dark eyelashes. I huffed, but let him touch me. He ran his soapy hands over my chest, lathering up my skin and washing away the remnants of last night's activities. His touch was light, and it tickled slightly. His hands trailed over my chest, my shoulders, down my back. They rested for a moment at the base of my spine, and he pulled me close. My skin was slick against his, nothing but a thin layer of soap between us. I tried to push him away half-heartedly, but he held me against him. "What are we doing, Alexander? Why are we making this so difficult?" He looked down at me with sad eyes, eyes that held long years of disappointment and tragedy. I was shocked to see so much emotion in them, when he'd been making jokes just moments before. It was the first time I truly understood what he'd been through. What I put him through. I could see he loved me, and every rejection pushed the knife in a little bit deeper. He was good at hiding it, but when he chose to show it, like now, he showed everything. Suddenly I felt guilty.

"Magnus..."

"Alec, don't. Don't make excuses. I know. I know I hurt you. But don't lie and say you don't want this. You don't want me. Last night, you told me you loved me. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that drunk words are sober thoughts."

"Magnus, I..." I didn't know what to say. He put a finger to my lips, silencing me. Then he leaned down, gold-green eyes sad but hopeful, and kissed me. I was unresponsive, unsure of what to do as his arm encircled my waist, pressing my body up against his, his other hand going up to my neck, fingers in my hair. He kissed me gently but desperately, trying to elicit a reaction. I was having a mental battle with myself. Part of me wanted to push him away, to tell him he couldn't force me into something I wasn't ready for. The other part wanted to wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him as passionately as I could, to tell him I loved him and to never let him go again. I could feel water dripping down my cheeks, running over my eyelashes. After quite some time, and still no reaction from me, he broke off.

"Alec?" I looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "Alec, please say something. Tell me how you feel."

"I..." My hands were on his chest, tracing the familiar patterns of his abs. "I want you, but there's too many complications. Our relationship has been difficult. I just feel like you don't trust me, or maybe I don't trust you. And... I can't just forget the fact that you broke the law to bring me back. By all rights I shouldn't be here right now. I should be dead. That's a big deal."

"But why can't we work through it together? It's obvious we both want this, and yes, we have problems, but we're only going to add to them if we try and stay apart. I need you, Alec. I've never been this dependant on another person before. It scares me, because I know exactly what would happen if I lost you, because it's already happened. And I fought for you, and I got you back, and I can't lose you again. You're the only thing holding me together. So I'm asking you to help me. To fix me. Please. If we work together we can make it work. And I promise I'll tell you all I can. Anything you ask." I'd never seen him like this before, so desperate. I knew he was being open with me, in a way he rarely ever was. But I, being me, and terrible with words, could not fathom what I could possibly say to make it better. So I didn't say anything. I put my arms around him and hugged him tightly, burying my face in his shoulder. I could feel his heartbeat against my own, his thin body warm in my arms. He hugged me back, and we stayed like that for a while, before I let go.

"You know, we've been in here for ages. Your water bill's gonna skyrocket."

"Honestly, Alexander, the water bill's the last thing on my mind right now." Even so, he picked up the bottle of body wash once more. Before he could squirt some on his hand, though, I took it from him. "I think it's my turn." Applying a liberal amount and lathering it up slightly between my palms, I began to wash him, scrubbing every inch of his skin clean. He had closed his eyes, and seemed to be enjoying the feeling of my hands on his body. I smiled slightly, feeling mischievous, and wanting to make up for my previous behavior. I wondered how much I could get away with, as I ran my soapy hand between his legs. He gasped. "Alexander..."

"What? We have to get all of you clean." I did it again. He looked down at me, one eyebrow raised. "Is this your way of saying yes?" I struggled to find a decent reply, blushing furiously and mentally tripping over myself.

"I guess I'm okay with trying."

He gave me a long look of both exasperation and joy. "You know, Alexander, there are much more eloquent ways of saying you want to get back with your boyfriend."

"I'm not good with words." I bit my lip. "Are you objecting?" I pulled my hand away, but he quickly grabbed my wrist and put it back.

"I never said that." I smiled and pulled him closer. His hands moved over my body, down over my back, my arse, to my thighs. Then, without warning, he picked me up, pushing my back against the wall and moving closer so I was pinned there by his body. I gasped at the cold temperature of the tiles in contrast to the water, but wrapped my legs around his waist happily, feeling his already half-hard state. He kissed me gently, and I teased knots out of his long hair. When I broke the kiss, he moved down to my throat. He bit down on my pulse point, and I bit my lip at the sensation.

"I'm still sore from yesterday, you know."

"What, down here?" His hand slid up from my thigh to my arse, and I nodded. "Aww, poor baby. You know what'll make it better?" As I looked up, he grinned, growling slightly. "Making it worse." He pushed a soap-slicked finger inside me. I moaned as he found my prostate almost immediately. He grazed my earlobe with his teeth. "I love those little noises you make." My eyelids fluttered, my head back against the wall. He fingered me roughly, enticing more moans out of me.

"Ma... Magnus... More..." I implored him. He dragged his fingertips over that spot, his fingernails creating intense sensations that wracked my body. I pulled at his hair, feeling his hipbones digging into my thighs where my legs wrapped around his waist. He added another finger, then another, and I could feel myself stretching to accommodate him. It hurt, but it was a delicious pain. As he constantly teased my prostate, I found myself moving against him, finding friction by grinding my body on his, although I wanted more. I wanted him inside me. I voiced as much, and he grinned, pulling out his fingers and lowering his face to mark my throat as he pushed me up higher, teasing my entrance with the head of his dick. I bit my lip to keep from crying out, my whole body screaming for contact. He bit down hard on a spot just above my collarbone, prompting a gasp out of me. I didn't want to wait anymore. I tried to move, but he had me pinned. He grinned wickedly, reaching a hand between us to stroke me too gently, knowing it was enough to set my nerves tingling, but not enough to satisfy. I squirmed against him, moving as much as I could in order to get more friction, but it wasn't enough. Magnus leaned down.

"What do you want?" His voice was husky.

"I... I want you..." My own voice shook with lust and desperation.

"Beg for me." His eyes sparked. I bit my lip, meeting his gaze imploringly. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth.

"Magnus... Please..." I whined, leaning forward, aching to kiss him. Still we made eye contact, and I knew he loved it when I did this. "Magnus... I need you... Please, give it to me..." I felt him twitch, a whole new level of lust igniting inside him, and, all of a sudden, he let me fall. I screamed, his entire length filling me as he pushed into me. I felt the cool tiles sliding against my skin as he took me up against the wall. His arms wrapped around my thighs, supporting my weight as he thrust against me. I still burned from last night, and now he added to that, my insides hugging his length tightly. My nerves sparked every time he moved, and I moaned in time with his thrusts. He kissed me roughly, messily. I responded in kind. I felt his fingernails dig into my thighs, his movements getting harder, faster. Almost subconsciously, I found myself stroking my own length, gasping into the kiss as I touched all the right places. Magnus ravaged my throat with his teeth, pure passion in his expression. My back arched off the tiles as I felt the tension inside me build. My head fell back, banging against the wall as I moaned his name. He kissed the sensitive spot below my ear, and I felt a shiver run through me. Magnus pushed into me harder, deeper, and I felt the strain on the insides of my thighs as he spread my legs wider. "Magnus... Please..." He knew what I wanted, and shifted his angle, hitting just the right spot. It payed off as I screamed, feeling almost like I'd been electrocuted. The built up tension peaked, and I let go, coming all over us. But still he didn't stop, and I could only scream his name as his every movement sent new shock waves through me. I felt like I would black out as he finally exploded inside me, and I launched into a second orgasm. His scream joined mine. I felt him buckle, dropping me. Fortunately, I found my feet, despite the weakness in my legs. I was surprised we were able to stay standing, even as we leaned against the wall, panting heavily. He grinned at me. I felt a small smile flicker across my features.

"You're not off the hook, you know." The steadiness of my voice took me by surprise. He rolled his eyes.

"Neither are you." There was a pause as we glared at each other, then we both cracked up, laughing at our state, laughing at our foolishness and our reckless love. And in that moment, I was happier than I had been in a long time.

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**Okay so the good news is I've been planning ahead - and I mean like REALLY far ahead - so all I have to do is write it out. Hopefully I'll pick up the pace, but I'm not gonna make any promises cuz I have all sort of exams and stuff over the next week, at least. But I'll try and write whenever I can!**


	8. Revelation

**A/N: I'm proud of myself with this one. I finished it very quickly. And this is a big chapter, too. Lots of excitement. Well, read on, and enjoy!**

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Alec POV

After we agreed to work on our relationship, life seemed to resume as normally as possible. Magnus began taking care of himself again, even going on a strict diet and taking up exercising. "I don't just magically stay thin and beautiful, you know," he'd said when I'd asked why the fridge was full of low-fat yoghurts and celery. One time, I had woken up to the sound of music, and had gone to the lounge to find him in purple yoga pants and a very tight vest top, copying some ridiculous dance from a woman on the TV screen. Apparently it was called 'Zumba', it helps keep you fit, and I should try. I firmly declined.

Meanwhile, I had turned one of his spare rooms into an improvised training room, and, whilst I couldn't get my hands on any proper Shadowhunter weapons, I made do with whatever Magnus could supply me with. I had expected my lack of runes to impact my abilities, but I seemed just as good as before. In fact, I could have sworn I'd improved. My reflexes were faster, I was stronger and more agile. My new body seemed able to keep up with the rigorous training I'd grown accustomed to and more. And all without the runes I had been using since my first fight. I had never been extraordinarily competitive, but still, part of me desperately wanted to show Jace and Izzy. To prove to them I could be just as good.

I missed them.

Magnus and I had often discussed how to break the news to them, and so far we hadn't come up with an idea that wouldn't result in either one or both of us getting seriously injured. I got the feeling that, no matter how they found out, they would inevitably get mad at us. So, as of yet, neither of us had contacted them.

Before I knew what had happened, a week had passed. Magnus had just gotten in the shower, so I was left alone. I was practicing with throwing knives, embedding them in a target I'd painted on the wall. Finding that I could hit the centre time after time, I'd begun to practice blindfolded. I was just beginning to wish I'd had a moving target when I heard a knock on the door. Pausing, removing the blindfold, I wondered what to do. Magnus had told me not to answer the door, just in case it was someone who would recognise me and kick up a fuss, but I figured that the chances of that happening were quite low. Besides, I could probably take them on if they did. So I threw the last knife, watching as it stuck itself into the already deep dent in the centre of the target, and went to open the door. Pulling it open, I said, "If you're here to see Magnus, he's..." And stopped. Three very familiar faces stared back at me, completely dumbstruck.

"A... Alec?!" My sister gaped, then her surprise turned to fury, and she tackled me to the ground. Before I could even try to fight back, she had a seraph blade at my throat. I shrieked and tried to squirm away from it, but she had me pinned. I felt sick. "WHO ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU IMPERSONATING MY BROTHER?!" She screamed, and I could hear the pain in her voice. I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice had abandoned me. "ANSWER ME!"

"Izzy..." I heard Jace, and looked up to see him standing over me, looking down with calculating eyes, as if trying to figure out how this was possible. Clary stood behind him, wide-eyed and obviously confused. "Let him up. If that's really Alec..."

"ALEC IS DEAD!" There were tears in her eyes now, spilling over onto her cheeks, "HE DIED TWO WEEKS AGO! WE BURNT HIS BODY!"

"Izzy, please..." I'd found my voice again, and tried to console her, "It's me. I'm not dead. Not any more."

"What do you mean?!" She pressed the blade down on my skin, enough to hurt but not enough to actually break it. "People can't come back from the dead!"

"Actually..." Jace interrupted. She snapped at him.

"That doesn't count!"

"How doesn't it?"

"Raziel brought you back! Unless Magnus went and summoned an angel, which is highly dangerous and nigh on impossible for a Shadowhunter, let alone a Downworlder, it's not possible!"

"Izzy, it's me! Really me!" She narrowed her dark eyes at me.

"Prove it." I struggled to think of a way to do so.

"When... When I was seven, I think, and you were five, we snuck into our parents' room and went through their stuff. You found mom's makeup, and begged me to let you put it on me." I smiled slightly, despite being embarrassed at Clary and especially Jace hearing this. "I finally agreed after you threatened to tell Dad how I'd stolen his bow to practice with. You had so much fun putting all different colours of eyeshadow and lipgloss on me." She sniffed, eyes full of tears. "I made you swear to never tell anyone. And you never did. No one but the two of us ever knew about it. Do you remember?" She nodded slowly, a sad smile playing on her lips.

"You looked so pretty with that purple eyeshadow on." I laughed softly, relieved as the fury drained from her expression.

"Now, can I get up please? My legs are going dead." She began to get up, but at that precise moment Magnus decided to walk in, a towel around his waist, rubbing vigorously at wet hair with another.

"Alec, sweetheart, what's all that racket?" He looked up and froze. Jace stormed up to him, knife in hand.

"You have an awful lot of explaining to do, Bane." Magnus stepped back, hands up in surrender.

"Woah, put the knife down, Angel eyes. You could do a warlock some damage with that."

Jace snickered. "That's the point."

Izzy got off me, and helped me up. "Jace, back off. That's my boyfriend you're threatening." He turned to look at me.

"Don't think you're off the hook. And you're back together? Name of the Angel, just how much have I missed?"

"Everyone, please, take a seat." Magnus snapped his fingers, and five armchairs appeared around the fireplace. "We'll get nowhere if we just stand around threatening one another." There was a pause as they seemed to question Magnus's sanity, but finally everyone did. I noticed that, as Clary passed me, she gave me a strange look. Like she didn't trust me. I ignored it- we'd never been close, so I couldn't really blame her- and took the armchair next to Magnus's. "Now then. I imagine you all have some questions."

"Damn right." Jace narrowed his eyes. Magnus ignored him.

"I shall endeavour to answer them. Now then, shall I start from the beginning?" He began to recite the same story he'd told me the first night I'd been back in a very abbreviated fashion, leaving out several rather important things, but I didn't say anything. He then went on to talk about how we'd decided to get back together (skipping over the intimate parts, thank the Angel) and what we'd been doing since. When he had finished, he was barely given time to breathe before Izzy was asking questions.

"So... You brought Alec back?"

"Yes."

"But Magnus, necromancy is not only illegal, but impossible, isn't it?"

"Not if you have the right connections, my dear." Izzy looked confused.

"What do you mean?" Magnus ran a hand through his hair, still slightly damp. I wondered if he was planning on getting dressed at all, but he seemed perfectly happy to entertain guests in just his towel.

"Well... In order to bring him back, I spoke to a demon."

"It'd have to be a pretty powerful demon to bring back the dead," Jace chipped in, "I've never heard of one that can do that."

"It was."

"Which one was it then?" Clary looked at him with inquisitive eyes.

"...Lucifer."

There was an exclamation of surprise from all three.

"Lucifer? As in Lucifer the King of Hell?" Izzy looked both incredulous and horrorstruck. "But... How did you control him? He's said to be more powerful than Lilith and Sammael, he's the first demon!"

"Yes. He's a fallen angel, the first of demonkind, the King of Hell, and... My father." He was met by shocked silence. "He only listened to me because of that. He enjoys mocking his children, and he said that mortal love amuses him. Not that I'm mortal, but I get what he meant." He paused. "I think he meant to play a game with me by doing this, but I don't really care. So far, it's been worth it. So much more than worth it." He reached over and took my hand. I laced my fingers with his, smiling. He smiled back. "I don't know or care what sort of trick he's playing. I have my Alexander back."

"This is all very sickeningly sweet," Jace interrupted, "but something about this whole idea just reeks of corruption. It can't all be sunshine and rainbows. There has to have been a price." I thought I saw something flicker across Magnus's face, and for a second he looked like he was going to say something, but then Clary spoke up.

"Alec, where are your marks?"

"What?" I looked up, startled that someone was talking directly to me. "Oh... Well, I guess since I have a new body and all that, I don't have them anymore. Have to replace them." She nodded, still looking a little skeptical.

"Need to draw them back on?" Izzy got out her stele. "Here. Use this." She threw it at me. I put out a hand to catch it, but, as it hit my palm, I felt a shock through my arm, like static. I pulled back my hand quickly, like a burn reflex as the stele clattered to the floor. All four of my companions gave me a strange look. I flushed, picking it up, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling it seemed to give me. "Sorry... Just... It... Never mind." I trailed off, and pressed the tip to the back of my hand. I had barely started to draw the Voyance rune when I noticed something. The slight burn wasn't fading as I drew. Instead, it seemed to get worse, until it burned into my skin like acid. I dropped the stele, yelping and jumping to my feet. Instantly, Magnus was at my side, examining my hand.

"What's wrong, honey? Are you hurt?"

"I..." I was so confused. What was wrong? Why did it hurt so badly? The skin around the mark was red raw, seeming slightly blistered. Magnus was frowning. The others gathered around, all staring at my hand. Izzy was the first to speak.

"Give me your hand, Alec." Her voice was slow, pensive. I did so, letting her examine it. She traced the unfinished mark with a fingertip, making it sting slightly, and then turned my hand over so my palm faced upwards. I frowned. Then, faster than I could react, she pulled out a knife and sliced my hand open. I cried out, yanking my hand away.

"What the hell, Izzy? What was that for?!" She stood stock still for a moment, staring at me. I felt slightly uncomfortable under her gaze, glaring back.

"I know what's wrong." Her expression was grave. I frowned. "I know Lucifer's price."

"...What?"

"Look." She gestured to my hand, and I raised it. The gash in my palm dripped blood, the sticky substance coating my palm and fingers where I'd clenched my hand. Except... It wasn't blood. It was thick, black, viscous. Demon ichor. I stared. So did the others.

"Alec... You're a demon?" Clary said incredulously. I couldn't reply. I just stared at the black liquid that slid down my wrist. The same black liquid I had seen exploding from so many demon bodies. Thoughts began running through my head. That was why...

"That's why the rune didn't work. And why the stele shocked me. And..." I thought back to my training, how my abilities had seemed enhanced since I woke up, despite the lack of runes. "Why I'm stronger. Faster." I frowned. "Like..."

"Like Sebastian." Jace spat the name.

"No." I shook my head. "I'm not like him. No way. I'm a good guy. I'm part of Team Good." Jace raised an eyebrow, and Izzy half-smiled.

"You had to be there." She informed him. I intercepted a droplet of ichor as it reluctantly rolled over my hand, inspecting the opaque black liquid on the tip of my finger.

"I'm still me. I'm not a demon. Am I?" I looked up.

"No." Magnus took my hand, cleaned the ichor from my skin with a simple spell, summoned a bandage and bound the cut. "You're a Shadowhunter's soul in a demon body. Technically demons don't have souls, just energy. You're different. I watched him put your soul into that body. You're not a demon." I met his eyes.

I frowned slightly. "You saw my soul?"

"Yeah." He smiled.

"What was it like?" "Like... Like smoke, or spider silk. Fine and pure white. Strange, but beautiful." I tried to imagine that. My soul. Somehow that idea that he'd seen what was essentially the essence of my entire being seemed very intimate. I looked down at myself, then back at him. He was smiling softly. I smiled back. There was a moment of silence, then someone cleared their throat. I blinked, looking around. Jace was smirking, Izzy was tapping her foot in boredom and Clary looked downright uncomfortable. Magnus dropped my hand and turned back to them. I could swear he was blushing slightly. "...Anyway. So, obviously we'll have to figure out what this means for Alec, but from what I've seen so far it won't make too much of a difference. He's still the same person."

"Not much difference?!" My voice went up a few octaves. "I'm a demon, Magnus! One of the things my family is sworn to kill!"

"Well obviously we're not going to kill you." Jace rolled his eyes. "You're still our brother. Unless you go rogue and start murdering Shadowhunters or even Mundanes, we won't have any reason to."

"And Downworlders?" Magnus looked affronted.

"Yes, those too." He paused. "In fact, this might be to our advantage."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"Well, Sebastian's still out there. And if he's able to rip off an angel's wings and send them to us as a warning, he's pretty powerful too. His dark Shadowhunters are more powerful than us, but now we have someone to match that." I blinked.

"You can't expect me to take on his whole army by myself, can you?"

"Of course not, but he won't be expecting that. Expecting you. If we play our cards right, we could take him down." I considered the possibility. I didn't know what this new body was capable of just yet, just that it was in some ways better than my old one. Maybe there were other abilities I had yet to discover. I knew that Greater Demons often have unique talents, but regular common-or-garden demons don't. But then again, I wasn't exactly your run-of-the-mill demon myself. Maybe I had some powers of my own. Still, the idea of taking on Sebastian myself was a bit intimidating. I'd seen what he could do. I found myself wondering if I could die again. Apparently Magnus was thinking the same thing.

"I didn't bring Alec back just so he could go and die again. Besides, there's no guarantee we will have the element of surprise. Clearly he knows how to deal with demons, even incredibly powerful ones. What if Alec were to get hurt?"

"Well, we know that Greater Demons can reform, right?"

"It takes centuries."

"Not if someone ritually summons them and binds them together again, like Sebastian did with Lilith." I wasn't sure how to feel about this. Being scattered between dimensions didn't seem like an inviting prospect.

"So... I can't die?" I looked at Magnus. He had a pensive expression on his face, but as his eyes met mine he grinned.

"It's extraordinarily difficult to kill a demon permanently. Also, you might want to think about this: have you ever seen an aged demon?" It took me a second to realise the implications of what he'd just said.

"I'm... Immortal?"

"If other demons are anything to go by, yes." I felt a sudden surge of emotion. All those nights laying awake counting my heartbeats, all those nightmares about Magnus leaving me as I grew old, all that time staring in mirrors, hallucinating grey hairs and wrinkles. All for nothing. I was immortal. I could be with Magnus forever, neither of us growing old or dying. Suddenly the age gap between us seemed a lot less. Because one day, I could be eight hundred. It wasn't an impossible idea anymore. I felt a smile playing around the corners of my mouth, and Magnus beamed. "I'm never going to lose you again Alexander."

"Alec's going to live forever?" Izzy asked incredulously. She smiled at me, but I could see it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's great. No more worrying about that for you two, then. No more fights." She mock-glared at Magnus. "Because I've been the one to clean up after your mess, Bane." To his credit, Magnus did have the courtesy to look suitably abashed.

"To be fair, I wasn't the one who started it." I gave him a venomous look.

"Let's move on from this topic, since it's no longer a problem."

"You should tell Samuel. He'll be delighted to have another companion to pass the ages with." I saw something spark in Izzy's eyes. A look I recognised.

"It's Simon."

Jace snorted. "Oh yes. He'll be delighted at the prospect of spending eternity with you two and your mushy, lovey-dovey nonsense."

"Trust me." Magnus had a grim look on his face. "Every companion helps." Clary looked at him strangely. I supposed that being reminded that your best friend was immortal and you were not wasn't a pleasant experience. Although it was probably slightly better than being reminded of your boyfriend's immortality. I made eye contact with Isabelle, trying to convey the message that I knew what she was going through, although part of me felt I couldn't possibly help, what with the recent revelation that I am indeed immortal and all. A smile ghosted over her lips and I knew she understood.

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to get dressed. Entertain yourselves whilst I'm gone." Magnus kissed my cheek, then disappeared into our room. We all sat back down, and there was a moment of silence.

"...How're we gonna tell Mum and Dad?" I picked at the bandage around my hand. "I don't know about Mum, but Dad's not gonna like it... Especially not since he's the Inquisitor now, and all, and he doesn't really like Magnus anyway. He could get into serious trouble."

"Yeah..." Izzy frowned. "But we can't exactly hide it. Everyone knows - or thinks, at least - that you're dead. Unless you want to stay here for the rest of your life, you're gonna have to tell them. All of them." I balked at the idea.

"...Can it wait?"

"Not forever, but maybe if we don't address the issue head on... You know, start a few rumours, tell a few people you're back and let them find out themselves before actually presenting you to them, they might be less inclined to... Ah..."

"To imprison and/or kill me." I stated bluntly. She flinched.

"That is, if you even can be killed. If what Magnus said is right, you might just be... Temporarily inconvenienced."

"...Uh huh." I grimaced at the thought.

"But I'm sure you could be around Downworlders without attracting too much attention. It's only people you know that you might want to stay away from."

"Hey, maybe you could help us train! You know, with your demon-y powers and stuff." Jace grinned.

"What demon-y powers?"

"Well you're faster and stronger, and demons can do magic, can't they?"

"Uh..." I hadn't considered that. "I guess... But I don't know if I can. I haven't done anything particularly magical yet."

"Get Bane to teach you. It'll be fun! Might actually present me with a challenge." I rolled my eyes. Same old Jace.

"That might actually be a good idea. It'd give us a chance to train with an actual demon opponent, and it'd give you a chance to settle into your new abilities." Izzy mused.

"Of course it's a good idea. I came up with it." We ignored him.

"Okay. Where? I can't... I can't go into the Institute anymore, can I?" I felt sad at that. I'd never again be able to go into the place I grew up. "No... The Sanctuary?"

"Urgh. I hate that place." Too many bad memories. After all, that was where I had met... Her.

"Still. It's large, it's usually unoccupied, and it's safe for you to access."

"...Alright then. I suppose it'd be nice to get out. As much as I love being here." Jace smirked.

"I'll bet you do, judging from those scratches all down Bane's back." I blushed, instantly mortified. Izzy hit him.

"Jace!"

"What? It's blatantly obvious. Alec's got that beautiful necklace of bruises there, too." I covered my throat with my hand, wanting to curl up into a ball and return to wherever the hell I came from. Probably hell.

"Yes, but you don't point it out! Besides, it's not like you're completely innocent. The number of times I've walked in on you and Clary is ridiculous!" Now it was Clary's turn to go bright red and cover her face with a gaudy pillow she'd found. Jace just grinned, clearly proud of this. Izzy sighed. "There's just no winning with you, is there?"

"...Anyway." I was still flaming, but attempted to draw the conversation away from this topic. Anything but my sex life with Magnus. "So when should we meet?"

"It should be at night. There'll be less of a chance of people seeing you. Plus you're probably sensitive to sunlight now, too." I hadn't thought about that.

"I can't go out in sunlight anymore?"

"I think it would be better not to risk it..." My mind flooded with images of Abbadon crumpling in the light, as distorted as the memories were from pain and delirium. Would that be me? Would I go up in smoke? I sighed. Yet another thing to add to the list of things I have to get used to. I figured the best person to talk to would be Simon, as he'd had to deal with similar changes. Plus it might help if I made an effort to get to know him, considering it seemed like him, Magnus and I would be sticking around together for quite some time.

We continued to discuss our plans until Magnus came back, dressed in a rather tight pair of jeans and bright red vest top with 'Sexy and I know it' emblazoned across the front. He sat on the arm of my chair, an arm around me as I leaned into him.

"What're you guys talking about?"

"I'm gonna go train with them tomorrow night. Get used to my new abilities."

"Yeah?" He studied me with curious eyes. "What kind of new abilities?"

"Well, to get used to being stronger, and all that. Overestimating your strength can be dangerous. So can underestimating it. And... We were wondering if I have any other new abilities. You know, magical ones." His eyes widened.

"You think you can do magic?"

"I don't know. But lots of demons can, so it's possible."

"Wow. We'll have to test that one." He looked up. "I've been meaning to ask you," he directed his question to the other three. "Why did you come here in the first place? We've all been so preoccupied with this revelation that your original purpose was completely forgotten. You need my help with something?"

"Uh... Not exactly..." Izzy looked suddenly uncomfortable. "You see, none of us had seen you, since... Well, since the funeral. You didn't pick up any calls or ever text back, so... Well..."

"We were worried about you!" Clary blurted. Magnus stared.

"You... Were worried... About me?"

"Yeah. You looked so miserable. We thought..." She trailed off. Then it hit me. They thought Magnus had committed suicide. Over me. I felt his arm around me tense.

"Well... I'm here aren't I? I'm fine."

"Came here expecting none, found two." Jace muttered under his breath. I gave him a look.

"Indeed. I appreciate the concern, but honestly, did you really think I would sink to that level?"

"With the parting line, and I quote, 'I can't live without him', actually yeah." I blinked.

"You said that?"

"...Yes. And it was true."

"Oh..." I put a hand on his, lacing our fingers together. He smiled softly. Jace cleared his throat.

"Now that that's cleared, I assume you two will be wanting some privacy." He eyed the two of us distastefully. "Not that I approve of your defiling of my brother, Sparkles." Magnus glared at him.

"I will do exactly as much defiling as I please, thank you very much." As if to prove his point, he leaned down and kissed me full on the mouth. I returned the kiss, although I was painfully aware of three other pairs of eyes on us. Isabelle spoke up, a note of exasperation and discomfort in her voice.

"Okay, we get the idea. See you tomorrow Alec?" I broke away from Magnus to reply. "Yeah. Nine pm in the Sanctuary. Looking forward to it." She nodded, getting up. Jace and Clary followed suit. In one last protest to Magnus's 'defiling' of me, Jace pulled Clary into his arms and kissed her with just as much passion. Clary squealed, pushing him away and blushing furiously.

"Jace!"

"What? I thought you enjoyed that?"

"I do, but not with an audience!"

"Not into that, huh?" She hit him, and I couldn't help but smile as Izzy dragged them both out, rolling her eyes in my direction and giving us a wave. Magnus waved back, wiggling his fingers and grinning, and, the second the door shut, he slid smoothly into my lap.

"Well that was entertaining."

"Yeah..." I looked at him with a sombre expression.

"You really said that?"

"What?" He was momentarily taken aback. "Oh." He smiled sadly. "Yeah. But I doubt I would have actually done anything, if this had failed. I'm too much of a coward."

"You're not a coward, Magnus." I put my arms around him, and held him close. He kissed me again, oh so softly this time.

"Hey, Magnus?"

"Yes Sugar Cube?"

"Can you teach me some magic? And no to the Sugar Cube." He grinned wickedly.

"Of course, Cupcake."

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**Woo! Can I just say, I'm so happy to have so many followers! Seriously, I've got like 20 now, which is amazing in my books! So thanks guys, and keep following and favouriting! A review or two would be nice too ;)**


	9. Magic

**A/N: I know the gaps between chapters but I've got so much stuff in my head and I'm not planning on giving up anytime soon I swears! But anyway. Enjoy!**

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Magnus POV

My Alec. A demon. Who'd've thought?

I studied his sleeping face. He seemed to be taking it quite well. After Jace, Clary and Isabelle left yesterday, he got straight to learning as much about himself as he could. He knew the basics, of course, but he wanted to test them himself. More than once I had to stop him from sticking his hand out a window and burning it to a crisp. He seemed to forget that he could no longer just draw an iratze and heal himself. Although, I supposed, I could heal him if necessary.

On top of this, he'd gotten frustrated when I had tried to teach him magic, and he wasn't able to pick it up. He'd stared furiously at his palm, trying to make those little flames appear, and when he hadn't gotten a response, he'd ended up punching a hole in the wall in frustration. In that moment, I'd sworn his eyes had darkened, far more than they did in his usual bad moods. Almost black. But as quickly as it had happened, it was over, and he was looking up at me with normal, cobalt blue eyes and apologising. I waved it off, telling him it was easily fixed, but that brief flash of darkness scared me. Maybe his new body was... Temperamental. Maybe it affected him on a mental level.

I found myself analysing his features, looking for any sign that he wasn't who he used to be. His expression was relaxed, his lips slightly parted and his untidy hair falling slightly over his eyes. His breathing was regular, even. His hand rested on his bare stomach, and, despite the fact that the duvet only covered him from the waist down, he didn't seem cold. He looked... Normal. Calm. Human. I reached out, gently brushing the hair from his face. At my touch, his eyes beneath their pale lids shifted, and he moved slightly. I froze, worried I'd woken him, but he only rolled over, snuggling up to me. His skin was cool against mine as he buried his face in the crook of my neck, sighing slightly. I pulled up the covers, covering him to the shoulder and putting my arm around him. I held him close, closing my eyes and feeling him breathing, his heart beating. I would just hold him until he woke up, I thought. His warm weight in my arms, pressed up against me, was comforting.

I don't know how long I held him like that. It could have been minutes, or hours. But when he began to stir, it startled me out of a sort of half-sleep. He blinked a few times, looking up at me with bleary eyes. I smiled.

"Did I wake you up?" His voice rasped, and he cleared his throat.

"No. I was just daydreaming."

"Daydreaming? What about?"

"You."

"Yeah?"

"How amazing you are."

He smiled softly, closing his eyes again and burying his face in my chest, curling in so his arms were between his body and mine, keeping him warm. "Magnus?" His voice was muffled slightly.

"Yes, sweet pea?"

"Do you still love me?"

I frowned. "Of course. Why would I not?"

"I'm a demon..." He sounded ashamed.

I sighed. "Alec, it doesn't matter what you are, what matters is who you are. And you're Alec. You're my Alec."

"That's good..." He fell silent for a moment, before speaking up again. "Magnus?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I'll ever be able to do magic?"

"I don't know. Not all demons do magic, right?"

"I think they all can, they just don't..." He looked disgruntled, but pushed himself up. "I don't want to give up just yet."

"I'm sure we can try again." I sat up beside him.

He reached upwards, stretching, before getting out of bed and walking to the bathroom. I watched him go with a sigh. Where I was quite happy to lie around and do nothing for hours, he needed to be up and about, permanently on the go. Running a hand through my tangled hair, I got up and found a hairbrush. Teasing the knots out gently, I found some simple clothes, just a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a t-shirt, and went to go find breakfast.

No sooner had I opened the door then I was set upon by a wailing Chairman, who wound around my ankles, looking up at me with bright eyes. I reached down and picked him up, scratching him behind the ears. He continued to meow at me, pawing at my shirt.

"Alright. Let's go get you some food, kitty." I carried him to the kitchen before setting him down on the countertop and finding his favourite food. He was pretty much climbing into his bowl as I opened the sachet, and attacked the meal as soon as I let him. I grinned at the tiny kitten. He'd always had an appetite twice that of a cat much bigger than him. It was a wonder he wasn't a little on the chubby side.

With the Chairman happy, I set about finding food for myself and Alec. After some deliberation, I cracked a couple of eggs into a frying pan and put on some toast. Simple and satisfying, especially when smothered in ketchup. In my opinion, anyway.

When Alec returned, rubbing viciously at his dripping hair with a towel, I served up his breakfast with a flourish.

"Thanks."

"No problem, darling." I took my place beside him, watching as he poked at the yolk of the egg until it split and leaked golden goo all over the white. "So what's the regime for today then?"

As I dug into my plate, he outlined his plans. They mainly included training, research and practicing magic. "If that's okay with you, of course." I assured him it was perfectly okay, and more entertaining than work or television.

"Oh, and Magnus?"

"Yes babe?"

"Have you actually been doing any work recently?"

"Uh, no. Not really. You're more important than that, sweetheart." I gave him my sweetest smile. He didn't look impressed.

"You do still have to pay for food and rent. I don't change that."

"Rent, yes, food, not so much." I conjured a steaming cup with a click of my fingers. "Coffee?" He just rolled his eyes at me.

"I wish you wouldn't do that."

"Do what? Utilise my resources?" I took a sip of the coffee, then winced, adding a couple of sugar cubes and stirring it.

"You should at least pay for it. It's not honest."

I sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll slip a few bucks in the tip jar next time I walk past." He glared at me. I just smiled at him until he got up, groaning exasperatedly and put his plate and cutlery in the dishwasher. I followed suit, finishing my coffee and picking up an apple and a small knife. He watched expectantly as I sliced the fruit up, popping a segment into my mouth with a grin. "So. Shall we commence our lessons straightaway?"

"Sure." I put the knife aside, leaving it on the countertop and striding past him, only pausing to hold a slice of apple between my teeth and pass it to him by means of a kiss. He let out a small laugh at that, accepting it and following me from the kitchen to his improvised training room.

"Okay," I turned to face him so abruptly he almost walked into me. "I believe yesterday we were working on conjuring objects, am I correct?" He nodded, focusing intently on me and all the advice I could give him. "Alright. Let's start easy." I sat down cross-legged on the floor, and motioned for him to sit opposite. Then I held up one of two remaining apple slices in my palm, eating the other. "Just attempt to get this from my hand to yours. Focus on the image, picture where it is and where you want it to be, then try and access the magic. Like I showed you yesterday." He nodded again, holding out his hand. I could see the concentration in his eyes, the same as when he was firing his bow, when his focus made him deadly accurate.

After an extended silence, probably about half a minute, he snapped his fingers.

Nothing happened.

He tried again, and again, and again. I watched as his mood got progressively worse as time went on. I don't know how long we spent repeating the process, going through the procedure and trying to put it into practice over and over. And still it wouldn't work.

Eventually he groaned, putting his head in his hands.

"It's not working, Magnus! I can't do it! I thought that if I took a break and calmed down, then I might be able to do it, but it hasn't done anything! I feel further from it than ever!"

"Hey, sweetheart," I tilted up his chin to meet my eyes. "Just because you're finding it difficult doesn't mean you can't do it. You are only just beginning."

"But you do it so easily!"

I gave him my best unimpressed look. "Darling, I have eight hundred years of experience under my belt. You can't go that long without perfecting your talent. Unless you are truly awful at it." He sighed. I paused for a moment, thinking. "Okay. What is it you're finding difficult?"

"I can't find the magic. You said it would be like a part of my mind I have to unlock. Well I can't find any locked parts. I don't know how to."

"If it's there, it's there. You just have to focus."

"That's what I'm doing!" He got up, and began to pace impatiently. I went to go and console him, but he brushed me off, and I was left to lean against the wall as he stared at his palm, expression hard and intense. When still nothing happened, he growled in frustration. I noticed his eyes were darkened, and a flash of his outburst yesterday hit my mind. I bit my lip.

"Honey, I think it might be best to try again in a few minutes."

"There's no point! I can't do it, can I? I'm the only demon there is that can't do any sort of magic!"

"That's not definite! I'm sure that you just need to concentra-"

"I AM!" I barely had time to process what happened. There was a flash of silver in his hand, and I heard a whoosh of displaced air, followed by a heavy thud millimetres from my cheek. My mind vaguely registered feeling a slight pain, and warmth running down the edge of my ear. I froze. Alec stared at me with feral black eyes, panting slightly, body poised as if...

As if he'd just thrown a knife.

Swallowing slightly, and glancing to my left, I saw the hilt of my fruit knife quivering next to my head, the blade almost entirely embedded in the wall. I couldn't move, couldn't speak for the shock. Alec... My Alec had thrown a knife at me. And from the amount of blade lodged into the wall, pretty damn hard as well. Had it been just a few inches further to the right, I would be dead.

Silent, I stared at my boyfriend, my eyes, wide with fear, meeting his pitch black ones. He blinked, his expression melting from rage to disbelief, and then horror.

"Magnus... I..." He lowered his hand from its outstretched position, relaxing his taut stance. He stepped back, as if scared to approach me.. Ever so slowly, I reached up and pulled the blade free, noticing the tiny amount of blood on its edge.

"...Where did you get this?" My voice was shaky and quiet, but didn't crack, to my relief.

"I don't know..." His eyes, suddenly blue again, avoided mine. "I just... I was angry, and I was thinking about the apple and how you cut it up and then the knife was in my hand and I threw it..." The words came tumbling out, one after the other, and he crossed his arms, hiding his hands by his sides, scared of himself.

"Alec..." I took a step towards him slowly, my heart giving a twinge as he flinched away from me. "You did it."

He looked up. "What?"

"You conjured the knife. You did magic."

He glanced at the blade, then at my ear. "I hurt you."

"It's okay. I've seen you throw before. You never miss. You didn't want to hurt me, because if you did, it would be a lot worse." Placing the knife on the floor carefully, I approached him, gently pulling his hands from his sides to hold them. "It's okay. I'm fine." He didn't seem convinced, so I leaned down and kissed him gently. It took a second, but he responded, letting go of my hands to wrap his arms around my neck, fingers in my hair. I pulled him close, holding him against me in an attempt to comfort him. I felt something wet on my cheek, and when he pulled away, I saw that he was trying and failing to hold back tears.

"I'm so sorry..." His hand went to my cheek, stroking my face with his thumb. "So sorry..."

I gave him a small, reassuring smile, my arms around his waist, pressing his body to mine. "It's okay. Honestly. It's barely a scratch. But I think I know what we've been doing wrong." He looked up at me inquisitively. "Your mind, or at least the part of it you are aware of, is human. It's the mind you had as a Shadowhunter. The magic comes from the inherent demonic abilities of this body. There's no point in searching your conscious mind, because it's not there. You have to use your body rather than your mind."

He frowned slightly, but nodded. "Seems logical."

Letting him go more than a little reluctantly, I stepped back, considering the apple slice still in my hand. It was a little brown from exposure to the air, and warm from the heat of my hand. "Let's get a new object to practice with." I threw away the apple, picking up the knife. I could see the apprehension in his eyes, but I reassured him. "Just stay calm and you'll be fine. Or, more importantly, I'll be fine." I grinned at him, and he half-heartedly returned it. "Hand out." He held out his hand, palm up. "Okay. Now, instead of picturing the knife in your hand, want it there." He frowned, confused. "Make yourself want the knife bad enough to make it appear." I explained. He stared at it once again. I decided to give him a little verbal incentive. "You can feel it there. You can feel your fingers around it's hilt. You find comfort in its being there." His fingers twitched slightly, as if he wanted to close them around the phantom blade. His eyes darkened, but not in anger. By slipping into a more emotional rather than logical state, he was giving in to his demonic side. The side with access to magic.

I felt a faint flutter in my palm, like the knife flickered in and out of being. He almost had it. Now he just had to release the magic. "Now. Do it."

He snapped his fingers, and his eyes widened as the knife materialised in his hand. I grinned, letting my now empty hand fall.

"I did it!" He beamed, his eyes lighting up. "Look!"

"You did." As if to prove his point, he threw the knife at the target on the wall (hitting a perfect bullseye, of course) then repeated the motion, making it reappear in his hand. "I get it now! I understand..." He looked at me, and I smiled.

"I told you, once you find the magic it's easy to use."

"Jace is gonna be so jealous..." He grinned mischievously. I laughed.

"Now now. That's not a fair fight."

"He wants a fight against a demon? I'll give him a fight against a demon. And a demon wouldn't go easy just because it's not fair."

"Mm. Fair enough, I suppose." I pulled him close and kissed him softly. "So. Shall we move on to something a bit more advanced?"

He kissed me back, and I could feel his joy in his enthusiastic response. When he broke it off, he remained so close to me that our noses almost touched, long eyelashes half covering his eyes, and smiled at me.

"Indeed."

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**Woo! Now, I've gotta figure out how to get from here to the next big scenario I have planned, but as soon as I do I shall write it down! Keep favouriting, following and reviewing, they really do work wonders for motivation :) Until next time!**


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